Cincinnati Reds add more infield depth in Jose Iglesias
The Cincinnati Reds have added another depth piece, signing Jose Iglesia to a minor league deal.
Although the Cincinnati Reds have not exactly been active in free agency, they have done their part to improve the roster. Bucking the trend of teams tanking to secure the best draft picks possible, the Reds are doing their best to contend in what should be a difficult NL Central. At this point, the majority of their work seems to be done, with the team focusing on depth pieces.
Cincinnati added another piece for their depth on Saturday. They have inked Jose Iglesias to a minor league contract, worth $2.5 million if he makes the major league roster. Iglesias also has a chance to earn another $1 million in incentives.
If he makes the team, Iglesias will earn $2.5 million plus the chance for an additional $1 million in bonuses based on games played. #reds
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) February 23, 2019
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One of the best defensive shortstops in the game, Iglesias produced a solid season with the bat in 2018. Last year, the former All Star had a .269/.310/.389 batting line, hitting 31 doubles and stealing a career best 15 bases. He continued his strong contact skills as well, striking out only 47 times in 464 plate appearances.
Although his 90 OPS+ may seem disappointing, his defense more than makes up for his middling at best offense. He was credited with nine runs saved in his 122 games at short, the fourth best in the AL. That defense has kept Iglesias in the majors, and helped him to a career high 2.2 bWAR last season.
Despite that performance, Iglesias may be facing an uphill climb to make the Reds major league roster. Jose Peraza may not be a defensive marvel, but he has more offensive potential and will turn 25 years old in April. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez can play short if need be, as can top prospect Nick Senzel.
However, if Iglesias is a part of the Reds Opening Day roster, he could conceivably pair with Derek Dietrich to give Cincinnati another solid utility player. While Iglesias has spent most of his time in the majors at short, he does have limited experience at second and third. It is certainly possible that he could get action at those positions as well, a defense first utility man compared to Dietrich’s value coming from his bat.
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The Cincinnati Reds have added another depth option in Jose Iglesias. While he may not have a clear path to the major league roster, he can still be a valuable option for the Reds, even if he ends up being stashed in the minors.