Jorge Mateo didn’t stay on the market long after the Atlanta Braves moved on from him.
The Braves released the veteran infielder this past Sunday, and by Wednesday he had landed with an American League contender. MLB reporter Francys Romero said, “Sources: Jorge Mateo has agreed to a Major League deal with the Tampa Bay Rays,”
Tampa Bay’s interest appears tied to depth and speed. Mateo gives the Rays a right-handed option in the infield, and even at 31, he still brings the kind of quickness that fits what the club is trying to assemble.
His time in Atlanta never really found traction. Mateo hit .240 with a .285 on-base percentage and a .665 OPS in 65 games for the Braves, and the bat is what pushed him out the door.
Atlanta’s shortstop situation had already been a messy one. The club signed Ha-Seong Kim to a one-year, $20 million deal last offseason to lock down the position, but that plan unraveled fast.
Kim suffered a freak accident before spring training that delayed his debut, then dealt with another right finger injury in July. When he was available, the production simply wasn’t there.
With Kim sidelined, Mauricio Dubon covered the middle infield alongside Jorge Mateo. Once Kim came back from his second injured list stint, Dubon had to be used elsewhere, and Mateo’s path got even tighter. Jim Jarvis also earned a longer look in the majors, which made Mateo the odd man out.
Now Mateo gets a fresh start in Tampa Bay, where the Rays are sitting in first place in the American League East.
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