Mariners should consider Jose Iglesias as potential infield solution

As the Mariners continue their search to improve the infield, Jose Iglesias is the type of player who can help at multiple positions.

It’s a bit of a jumble right now in the infield for the Seattle Mariners, with J.P. Crawford as the only definite at shortstop. The other three positions are shrouded in uncertainty and with the angst only growing among fans, as we are now just six weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting.

The hope is that Justin Turner will re-sign in Seattle and form a decent first base pairing with Luke Raley. The plans at second base suffered a setback when Hyeseong Kim decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss as the most likely alternatives.

This still leaves third base to sort out, with Moore also an option here, along with the likes of Leo Rivas and Austin Shenton, albeit both have limited experience in the Majors. However, if the Mariners are prepared to go down the road of effectively platooning at third base — or indeed any of the infield positions in general — there is a potentially intriguing free agent still available who might fit the bill.

An exceptional defensive infielder

The player in question is Jose Iglesias, who was listed as a possible solution by Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors. He is renowned for being a fantastic defensive infielder, he reads the game brilliantly, is extremely athletic, and has good arm strength.

Now to be clear, the extensive majority of Iglesias’ defensive assignments during his 12 years of Major League action have been at shortstop, which isn’t a necessity as such in Seattle. However, nearly all of his playing time last year with the New York Mets was at second and third base, where he had a .990 and .980 fielding percentage respectively, with just three combined errors.

Of course we appreciate that no matter how much the 2015 MLB All-Star can help defensively, there is the question of how effective his bat can be, given the need for more scoring in Seattle. In this respect, it should be noted that last season was one of his best ever offensive ones, with his .337/.381/.448 slash line, .830 OPS and 137 OPS+ all being the second-best of his Major League career.

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Can the Mariners expect a repeat performance in 2025?

We appreciate that critics will point to these stats only coming in an 85-game sample, with the concern about if the 35-year-old can repeat this kind of production in the coming season? And fair or not, his advancing age and lack of power will have people questioning how much he can do in 2025.

Irrespective of this, Iglesias does seem to be the type of player the Mariners will have to consider at this point, with external infield options continuing to sign elsewhere as we head rapidly towards mid-February. There should also be some appeal financially in Seattle, just based on him earning only $1.5 million last year with the Mets.

Overall, while the Cuba native isn’t an ideal candidate as such, there’s still plenty to like, even if he just ends up being a quality depth player capable of covering at several infield positions. At the very least, the Mariners should perform their due diligence and contact his representatives for a conversation.

What are your realistic hopes for the Seattle Mariners, when it comes to resolving the infield uncertainty prior to the 2025 season? Do you consider Iglesias a good option or not, and why? Let us know in the comments section below.