Juan Lagares, an outfielder, spent a few years in the majors and won a Gold Glove.
Ismael Cruz and Juan Mercado, scouts for the New York Mets, signed Lagares in May 2006.
For the 2006 DSL Mets, he hit .255/.339/.412 and fielded.942 at shortstop, finishing third in the Dominican Summer League with eight triples.
He struggled in his first season in the United States, hitting .210/.262/.317 with 40 mistakes in 82 games at SS for the Savannah Sand Gnats (fielding.911).
In 2008, he split his time between the Sand Gnats (.254/.285/.337 in 46 games) and the Brooklyn Cyclones (19 games). In 2009, he played for Savannah and the GCL Mets (.274/.305/.333 in 47 games) (5 for 24, 2B, BB).
That season, he went to the outfield. He played for Savannah for the fourth consecutive year, hitting.300/.318/.459 in 67 games; he also appeared in 33 games with the St. Lucie Mets, hitting
.233/.248/.316. In 30 attempts, he hit nine triples and stole 25 bases, tying for second in the South Atlantic League in three-baggers (3 behind leader Evan Crawford). In triples, he was third on the Mets’ list, while in swipes, he was sixth.
How Much Does Juan Lagares Make?
Juan Lagares earns an average of $1,250,000 a year.