A former Boston Red Sox Rookie of the Year has recently made a difficult admission – his playing career may be coming to a close.
Infielder Jose Iglesias, whom Red Sox fans will remember as the recipient of the club’s Rookie of the Year award in 2013 (while also taking home Rookie of the Month honors in June 2013) has stated that he’s facing retirement from baseball if he doesn’t land a new contract.
Former Boston Red Sox Rookie Of The Year Jose Iglesias Admits That His Playing Days Could Be Finished
Former Red Sox infielder Jose Iglesias admitted earlier this month that retirement from baseball could be on the horizon.
“If that phone rings… I’ll be there… I’m in that stage in my life where, not just to play, but to play for something,” Iglesias said during an appearance on Craig Melvin’s Glass Half Full podcast.
Iglesias did not play in 2026, and instead became the first Latino-born MLB player to appear in a Broadway play, starring in the role of “The Narrator” in the musical Buena Vista Social Club.
Across two separate tenures in Boston, Iglesias proved to be a highly effective bat, compiling a .293 average with 102 hits and 28 RBIs over 121 total games. While he originally broke out with a .280 average from 2011 to 2013, his brief 2021 return to the Red Sox was even more effective, featuring a scorching .356 batting average across 23 late-season appearances.
Jose Iglesias Spent Part Of His MLB Career With The Red Sox
Iglesias began his professional career after signing with Boston as an international free agent in 2009, quickly establishing himself as one of the Red Sox’s most promising young players. He reached the majors in 2011 and made a bigger impact in 2013, when he earned AL Rookie of the Month honors in June; the club named him their Rookie of the Year.
The Tigers acquired Iglesias that July, and he stepped into Detroit’s starting shortstop role following Jhonny Peralta’s suspension. Iglesias batted .259 in 46 games with the Tigers and .303 overall that season, finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year race.
Injuries then sidelined him for the entire 2014 season, but Iglesias bounced back in 2015 and earned his first All-Star selection before a broken finger brought his season to an early end.
Iglesias later enjoyed several productive offensive seasons, including a 2019 campaign with Cincinnati in which he hit .288 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. He followed that with a .373 average over 39 games for Baltimore in the shortened 2020 season before splitting 2021 between the Angels and Red Sox and joining Colorado the following year.
Former Red Sox Rookie Of The Year Makes Heartbreaking Admission