Juan Lagares

Juan Lagares

35-Year-Old OutfielderOF
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Juan Lagares in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year contract with the Angels in May of 2022. Released by the Angels in June of 2022.
Headed to KBO
OFFree Agent  
July 8, 2022
Lagares agreed Friday with the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization on a one-year contract, Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports.
ANALYSIS
Rather than continuing his career in North America after recently being granted his release from the Angels, Lagares will test his luck in South Korea as part of a championship-contending Landers team. The defensive-minded outfielder struggled at the plate during his stint in the majors with the Angels this season, but he should find more success in the KBO while facing off against lower-caliber pitching.
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Batting Stats
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2022
2021
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+5%
OPS vs RHP
2024
No Stats
2023
No Stats
2022
 
 
+5%
OPS vs RHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022vs Left .447 23 2 0 0 0 .136 .174 .273
Since 2022vs Right .468 39 2 0 0 0 .211 .231 .237
2024vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022vs Left .447 23 2 0 0 0 .136 .174 .273
2022vs Right .468 39 2 0 0 0 .211 .231 .237
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Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+107%
OPS on Road
2024
No Stats
2023
No Stats
2022
 
 
+107%
OPS on Road
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022Home .341 41 3 0 0 0 .171 .171 .171
Since 2022Away .707 21 1 0 0 0 .211 .286 .421
2024Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022Home .341 41 3 0 0 0 .171 .171 .171
2022Away .707 21 1 0 0 0 .211 .286 .421
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2020
2019
2018
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2016
2015
2014
Lagares' seventh season in the majors was his worst one yet. While he started in center field on Opening Day and remained healthy all year, he received just 285 plate appearances and did very little with them, hitting .213/.279/.326, good for a career-worst 60 wRC+. He also posted a career-high 26.3% strikeout rate, well above his career 20.6% mark. The struggles were particularly disappointing on the heels of his 2018 campaign, where an overhauled swing led him to a .339/.375/.390 line and a 14.1% strikeout rate in 64 plate appearances before season-ending toe surgery. Lagares' struggles at the plate in 2020 followed him into the field as well, where he graded out as below average by both DRS and UZR for the first time in his career. It's hard to envision a player who's historically had a weak bat and who is now a questionable defender seeing much playing time as he heads into his age-31 season.
Lagares was off to a hot start last season before undergoing season-ending toe surgery in mid-May. In 64 plate appearances, he hit .339/.375/.390, numbers which represent career bests in all three categories. It's unwise to read too much into such a small sample, especially since it came with a .392 BABIP, but there are reasons to believe that at least some of the improvement was real. He cut his strikeout rate by 6.5 percentage points (down to 14.1%) after he reportedly made offseason swing changes. It will take more than a small improvement for Lagares to be a viable fantasy option, however, as his career line sits at .260/.300/.367 in 583 games. Playing time could be available with Yoenis Cespedes (heel) expected to miss at least the first half of the season, but Keon Broxton will probably get the first chance to win the center-field job. Expectations should remain low despite Lagares' small-sample success last year.
Lagares is going to have a major-league job in 2018 because he is an excellent defensive outfielder. That does not mean much for your fantasy teams because he is not an excellent hitter. He is not even a serviceable hitter as he lacks power and does not reach base enough to utilize the speed that he shows in closing the gaps in the outfield to take away extra base hits from opposing hitters. Lagares is currently projected as the starting center fielder for the Mets, which means he will get more opportunity to display his limited offensive skill set. He may end up stealing 10-plus bases with a full-time job, but there is no chance he lasts in the leadoff spot of this lineup. Lagares will end up back in a reserve role or down in the bottom third of the lineup soon enough.
Lagares was hampered by a thumb injury for much of the season, as he was limited to just 79 games and only started in 31 of those. Though he hit a career-worst .239 with an OPS of just .681, his worst month came directly after he returned from his first DL stint, when he hit just .160/.263/.300 in 50 at-bats in July, so it's fair to wonder if his swing was impacted by the thumb ailment. Either way, Lagares' struggles against right-handed pitching continued, as he hit just .217 with a .295 OBP against righties. Though he's been a bit better than that for his career, he was essentially viewed as a small-side platoon option coming into 2016 anyway, so his at-bats will likely be even more limited to just southpaws going forward. He is the only true center fielder on the Mets, but Curtis Granderson figures to masquerade in center field against righties in order to keep a potent offensive configuration in place.
Fears that Lagares might require Tommy John surgery were erased in November when it was revealed that he would not require a procedure to repair the partially torn ligament in his throwing elbow. Playing through the injury impacted him at the plate, and in the field, as his defense graded out below his typical elite levels. His bat also regressed after he showed signs of progress in 2014. Lagares' defense ability will keep him in the lineup as a near everyday player, but he will need to show improvement against right-handed pitching (.253/.271/.328) in order to take advantage of his playing time volume. It's entirely possible that the 2014 numbers are his peak as a hitter, but it would be foolish to completely rule out the possibility of hitting coach Kevin Long finding a way to get more mileage out of his bat, and Lagares can be utilized in deeper formats against left-handed pitching in his current state.
Even while being derailed by two stints on the disabled list and a sprained elbow that cost him time late in the year, Lagares established himself as a premier defensive center fielder for the Mets in 2014, earning Gold Glove honors. Now 26, there are still questions as to just how much he will hit big league pitching, but the results last season were better than in his first stint in the big leagues in 2013. Not surprisingly, Lagares runs very well, which enabled him to steal 13 bases in 17 attempts last year, and he piled up 46 runs scored while spending most of his at-bats outside of the leadoff spot. With a more discerning eye at the plate, it's not unreasonable to think that Lagares could receive regular nods atop the Mets' lineup, but his 4.6% career walk rate suggests that aspect of his game is still a work in progress. As long as he's able to avoid a setback with his elbow, Lagares is positioned for an everyday job again in 2015, while the potential for further growth at the plate and on the basepaths makes him an intriguing endgame target.
Lagares got off to a hot start in 2013, batting .346 with three homers and nine RBI through 78 at-bats with Triple-A Las Vegas, to earn a late-April promotion to the big leagues. He got off to a slow start, but started turning it around on June 5 and was on a tear until early August. Lagares really struggled in September, as his lack of plate discipline -– 20:96 BB:K in 421 plate appearances -- and fatigue caught up with him. Lagares showed he could hit in the upper minors from the time he broke out in 2011, and his plus defense should help him find a path to big league at-bats. The Mets' plans for him in 2014 are less clear now, however, after the addition of free agents Curtis Granderson and Chris Young.
More Fantasy News
Reaches free agency
OFFree Agent  
June 29, 2022
Lagares declined his outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday and elected free agency.
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Clears waivers
OFLos Angeles Angels  
June 29, 2022
The Angels outrighted Lagares to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.
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Designated for assignment
OFLos Angeles Angels  
June 24, 2022
Lagares was designated for assignment by the Angels on Friday.
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Moves to reserve role
OFLos Angeles Angels  
June 14, 2022
Lagares is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Dodgers, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
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Likely headed for backup role
OFLos Angeles Angels  
May 31, 2022
Lagares will start in left field and bat eighth in Thursday's game against the Yankees, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Option unlikely to be renewed
OFNew York Mets  
October 17, 2019
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com expects Lagares to have his $9.5 million option for 2020 declined by the Mets.
ANALYSIS
New York had relied on his defense as a justification for holding him in recent seasons. However, the .605 OPS he mustered last year likely will prove enough evidence for the Mets to move on and find a well-rounded replacement or allow Brandon Nimmo to get a crack in center field full-time. They'll probably buy out Lagares' deal for $500,000.
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