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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Juan Lagares is calling it a career.
The 2015 Gold Glove Award winner, four years removed from his last major league at-bat, bid farewell to baseball in a post to his Instagram account on Feb. 19.
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Lagares, 36, reiterated his gratitude to the game in the post while thanking his current team, Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Winter League, in a post written in Spanish.
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Lagares played for the New York Mets from 2013-20, and the Los Angeles Angels from 2021-22. He retires with a .250/.291/.360 slash line, 31 home runs, 217 RBIs, and 45 stolen bases in 850 MLB games.
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Despite carrying a relatively light bat — the Constanza, Dominican Republic native never hit more than six home runs in a season, or logged more than 465 plate appearances — Lagares' glove allowed him to find steady employment over 20 professional seasons.
After his final game with the Angels, Lagares spent the last four winter league seasons with Aguilas, where he played 90 games in all.
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After his rookie year with the Mets in 2013, Lagares won the National League Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award. His 14 assists that season led all NL center fielders.
In 2014, a 25-year-old Lagares led all NL center fielders in Defensive Runs Saved. Between that and a full highlight reel of catches, throws, and outfield collisions, Lagares won the first and only Gold Glove Award of his career.
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Though injuries reduced his availability in the regular season, Lagares played a critical part in the Mets’ run to the 2015 NL pennant. He batted .429 (3 for 7) in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, .333 (2 for 6) in the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, and .300 (3 for 10) in his only World Series action against the eventual champion Kansas City Royals.
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