Padres' Jose Iglesias was 'totally shocked' he didn't receive contract offer from Mets in the offseason
Jose Iglesias of the San Diego Padres at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
He went from “OMG” to “No-MG.”
Former Mets infielder Jose Iglesias, in town with the Padres to play the Yankees, said on Wednesday that he was “definitely totally shocked” he never got a contract offer from the Mets in the offseason.
“I did not receive any offer from them at all,” Iglesias said. “That was a goal, to receive something and come back home. But I never received an offer from the New York Mets.”
Iglesias, 35, was a sparkplug on and off the field in 2024 as he hit .337 and contributed to the great vibes as the team made it all the way to the NLCS. Who can forget Iglesias singing his song “OMG” on the field with the whole team dancing behind him after a late June victory at Citi Field?
But the Mets signed Nick Madrigal to be their primary backup infielder and didn’t pivot back to Iglesias even after Madrigal suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in February.
After Iglesias signed a one-year, $3-million contract with the Padres in early March, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said: “Good for him. Obviously, he was a huge player for us last year, not only on the field, but off the field. I’m glad he finally found a home.”
Iglesias thought he already had a home in Flushing.
“Disappointed, obviously,” he said. “Everything we started (in 2024), and to not be able to get the opportunity to continue the culture and everything that we were pushing in the right direction, and to not be part of it. But it’s part of the business, I guess, and San Diego saw something in me and here I am.”
Iglesias said he had a dream soon after signing with the Padres.
“I had a dream that I have a walk-off hit against the Mets,” he said. "It was a blooper over their first baseman . . . I had a dream that I had walk-off against the Mets, and we move forward to the World Series.”
San Diego went into Wednesday with a 23-12 record. The Mets were 23-14. So it is possible the teams can meet in the playoffs.
Before that, though, the Padres will visit Citi Field on Sept. 16-18.
“I’m excited,” said Iglesias, who went into Wednesday batting .235. “Absolutely. I’m excited.”
And what of “OMG” itself, which became the rallying cry of the 2024 Mets. Did Iglesias take that with him to San Diego?
No.
“ ‘OMG’ belongs to the Mets,” he said. “That’s how I see it.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
