Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Padres Add Yet Another All-Star Shortstop

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ben Weinrib | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 12:16 PM ET

Throughout Little League, high school, and college ball, it's common for the best player on the team to play shortstop. It's a glamorous position that requires athleticism and skill, one that any young star would want to play at.

Of course, not everyone can stick at shortstop in pro ball. Many future Hall of Famers like Miguel Cabrera started there and simply outgrew the position.

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has a keen eye for shortstops and seems to be testing if he can build an entire lineup out of them. His latest reported acquisition, weeks before Opening Day, is one of the best defensive middle infielders: Jose Iglesias.

Iglesias gets $3M if in majors plus $1M incentives on Padres deal
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 5, 2025

Iglesias will add infield depth at shortstop, second base and third base. Primarily he should be backing up three current and former shortstops and All-Stars in Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, and Manny Machado. And let's not forget former shortstops in the outfield, All-Stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill.

The 35-year-old Iglesias last made the Midsummer Classic in 2015 but is coming off the most productive season of his career. Despite only playing 85 games, he amassed 2.5 WAR thanks to a .337/.381/.448 line and solid defense.

Iglesias was also a fan favorite for the New York Mets last season because of what he did off the field. During his off-time, Iglesias is a music artist and played his hit song "OMG" — which reached No. 1 on the iTunes Latin Pop chart — at a postgame concert last June.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported that the Mets did not try to retain Iglesias because they wanted to give playing time to their younger players, including Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, and Jett Williams.

The Padres — and Preller's quest to add as many shortstops as possible — ended up the beneficiaries.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: