The Cuban utility Andy Ibáñez signed a Minor League contract with the Seattle Mariners, an agreement that opens a new opportunity for the 33-year-old player following his release by the New York Mets organization.
According to reports this Sunday by journalist Francys Romero, Ibáñez had just played with Syracuse, the Triple-A affiliate of the Mets, where he recorded a batting average of .269, four home runs, and 18 runs batted in over 31 games before being released on August 13.
His time with the New York organization began on April 30, when the Mets claimed him off waivers from the Athletics and added the Havana native to the active 26-man roster, as the player had no minor league options available.
However, on May 12, the Mets designated him for assignment and removed him from the 40-man roster, sending him to Syracuse. In his Major League appearances during 2026 —with the Athletics and the Mets— he amassed only 23 at-bats with an average of .087, two hits, and five runs batted in.
The season has been particularly tumultuous for Ibáñez in terms of roster movements. In January, he signed with the Dodgers for one year and 1.2 million dollars, but Los Angeles designated him for assignment in February to make room after acquiring Michael Siani. Since then, he has passed through four different organizations.
With the Mariners, the infielder would join the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle team, according to available information about the agreement.
Born in Havana on April 3, 1993, Ibáñez left Cuba in November 2014 and signed with the Texas Rangers in July 2015. He made his Major League debut on April 28, 2021, becoming the 219th Cuban to reach MLB.
After playing for the Rangers and the Detroit Tigers, who did not renew his contract in November 2025, the veteran has played approximately 431 games in the Major Leagues, with a batting average of .252, 28 home runs, and over 130 runs batted in.
His profile as a utility infielder —with experience at second and third base and frequent use as a pinch hitter— is exactly the kind of versatility that teams value to round out their minor league rosters with call-up options.
With this new contract, Ibáñez will seek to prove in Tacoma that he still has what it takes to return to the Major Leagues and extend a career that already exceeds five years in top-level baseball.
Related videos:
Filed under: