Stars sign Jorge Mateo for two seasons

SAN PEDRO DE MACORÍS.– The Estrellas Orientales announced the signing of shortstop Jorge Mateo for two seasons, an agreement through which the club acquired the player's rights and prevented him from becoming a restricted free agent starting next February 15, in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM).

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Mateo, 30 years old, was acquired by the Estrellas during the recently concluded winter season, in a trade with the Leones del Escogido that involved third baseman Eguy Rosario. In 15 games with the green team, the shortstop showed a solid offensive performance, recording a line of .298/.355/.794, in addition to three stolen bases in four attempts, while providing defensive stability to the infield with his usual proficiency at shortstop. Originally from Santo Domingo, Mateo was originally selected by the Toros del Este as their first pick and third overall in the 2015 Rookie Draft. Subsequently, he was a key player for the Leones del Escogido during the last Round Robin, after being selected in the Re-entry Draft. In the most recent Semifinal Series, Mateo participated in 10 games with the Leones, in which he batted .243, with one home run, four RBIs, nine stolen bases in the same number of attempts and four runs scored. With this new signing, the Stars bought Mateo's rights to prevent him from becoming a restricted free agent on February 15, and unrestricted as of March 15, according to his status as a player with more than ten years originally signed in the league, in accordance with the collective agreement between LIDOM and the National Federation of Professional Baseball Players. Winner of the Gold Glove in the 2019-2020 season with the Toros del Este, Mateo brings to the Estrellas a shortstop with six years of experience in Major Leagues, with the San Diego and Baltimore organizations, as well as speed and aggressiveness on the bases.

This would have been the second time Mateo would reach free agency in the Dominican league. The first was in "2024", when he signed with the Leones del Escogido under a contract that expires on "February 14", and which was inherited by the Estrellas after the aforementioned trade.

Bravos Signature

A day after revealing that their starting shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will be out of action until mid-May and possibly until June, the Braves signed the Dominican Jorge Mateo for one year. Mateo arrived at the free agent market after batting .177 with a home run and an OPS of .483 in 42 games for the Orioles last year. The 30-year-old infielder has an OPS of .629 in 1,411 plate appearances since his debut in 2020 with the Padres. He can play in each of the three outfield positions and has spent time at second base, but has been used primarily as a shortstop.