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The Cuban utility player Andy Ibáñez was claimed off waivers this Thursday by the New York Mets, who are adding him directly to the active roster after the Athletics designated him for assignment, according to Pelota Cubana.
The move was finalized on the same day that the Mets designated reliever Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster to claim the Pinar del Río player.
Having no remaining options, Ibáñez must be added immediately to the active roster of 26 players, which will require the New York team to make an additional move when the Cuban reports.
His time in Oakland was brief and disappointing: he batted only .118 in 11 games with an OPS of .284 in 18 at-bats and three RBIs.
The chain of movements that led him to the Mets began in January, when he signed a one-year contract worth 1.2 million dollars with the Dodgers, but he was designated for assignment in February due to the arrival of Michael Siani.
The Athletics then claimed him, and now it is the Mets who are taking on that $1.2 million contract.
Ibáñez joins a team affected by injuries. Francisco Lindor has been out since April 23 due to a strain in his left calf, Jorge Polanco has been dealing with a wrist contusion and bursitis in his heel since mid-April, and Luis Robert Jr. was placed on the injured list just this Thursday due to a lumbar disc herniation.
To those injuries, we can add those of starter Kodai Senga, Paul Blackburn, and shortstop Ronny Mauricio, which has left the team with a losing record and sinking postseason chances.
The profile of Ibáñez directly addresses that need: he is a utility player who can cover second base, third base, first base, and corner outfield positions, with over 1,000 innings played at second base throughout his career.
In offensive terms, his best recent season was 2023 with the Detroit Tigers, where he posted a wRC+ of 103, above the league average. In 2024 and 2025, his numbers dropped to a combined average of .240 with a wRC+ of 85.
Originally from Pinar del Río, Ibáñez emigrated from Cuba in 2015 and signed with the Texas Rangers. He made his Major League debut on April 28, 2021, becoming the 219th Cuban to reach MLB.
After spending time with the Rangers (2021-2022) and Detroit (2023-2025), the Mets will be his fourth team in Major League Baseball, a new opportunity for a player striving to establish himself in the best baseball in the world.
As Pelota Cubana USA summarized when announcing the move: "A new opportunity for Ibáñez on a team that needs functional pieces."
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