Indios de Mayagüez extend contract with Emmanuel Rivera
The third baseman and team captain will remain with the club through the 2028-2029 winter league season after winning the batting title and a second consecutive Gold Glove.
The short version
- NotiCel reported that Emmanuel Rivera signed a two-year contract extension with the Indios de Mayagüez for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons
- Metro Puerto Rico reported that Rivera debuted with the team in 2016-2017 winning Rookie of the Year and is a Mayagüez native
- José Julio Feliciano told reporters that Rivera is the team's captain who loves the franchise and has never turned down the league
- Rivera hit .348 and won his second straight Gold Glove in the 2025-2026 season according to both outlets
Contract extension
The Indios de Mayagüez have secured third baseman Emmanuel Rivera for two additional seasons. NotiCel reported that the extension covers the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 campaigns of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente. Metro Puerto Rico reported the same agreement, noting it comes ahead of Rivera's 11th winter season with the club.
Rivera, the team's captain, first played for the Indios in the 2016-2017 season when he was named Rookie of the Year. Both outlets state he is a product of Mayagüez. In the 2025-2026 season he won the batting championship with a .348 average and earned his second consecutive Gold Glove.
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Es un honor poder concretar este nuevo acuerdo por dos años con quien conocemos desde los 8 años de edad.
Our translation: It is an honor to finalize this new two-year agreement with someone we have known since he was 8 years old.
The source's own statement, as quoted by NotiCel. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Team statements
Indios president José Julio Feliciano said Rivera represents much for the organization. NotiCel reported his comments that Rivera is the captain, a Puerto Rico player and Mayagüez product who loves the franchise. Feliciano added that the team has known him since he was 8 years old and hopes this is the first of several extensions.
General manager Alex Cintrón highlighted the importance of keeping the third baseman and captain with the team, Metro Puerto Rico reported. Rivera has also been named to the 2023 Caribbean Series All-Star team and received the Luis Rodríguez Olmo Presidential Award that year.
Where the sources differ
NotiCel and Metro Puerto Rico agree on the two-year extension through 2028-2029, Rivera's debut season, Rookie of the Year award, .348 batting title and second straight Gold Glove in 2025-2026, plus his status as captain and Mayagüez native. NotiCel includes direct quotes from team president José Julio Feliciano and notes the team has known Rivera since age 8. Metro Puerto Rico adds that Rivera began his pro career with the Royals in 2015, debuted in MLB in 2021, played in the 2023 World Series with the Diamondbacks, and includes comments from general manager Alex Cintrón. NotiCel also reports several other roster moves by the Indios and other teams that Metro does not mention.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the financial terms of the extension, whether Rivera will play in the majors during 2027 or 2028, or any specific performance targets tied to the deal. They also do not say when the contract was formally signed or whether other winter-league teams made offers to Rivera.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Indios firman extensión de contrato con Emmanuel «Pulpo» Rivera
- Reporting Indios firman extensión de contrato con Emmanuel «Pulpo» Rivera
- Reporting Emmanuel Rivera extiende su contrato con los Indios de Mayagüez hasta 2029
How we checked this
NotiCel and Metro Puerto Rico both reported the core facts of the Rivera extension and his recent awards. Additional roster moves by the Indios and comments from Alex Cintrón rest solely on one outlet each.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.