The Twins, who lacked depth at first base during the beginning of the offseason, picked up their second first baseman in two weeks.
In a trade with the Miami Marlins on Friday, Jan. 2, the Twins acquired Eric Wagaman, who played 140 games last year before he was designated for assignment on Dec. 30. Wagaman hit .250 with nine homers and 53 RBI while posting a .296 on-base percentage and a .674 OPS in 476 at-bats.
The Twins sent minor league lefthanded pitcher Kade Bragg, a 17th-round pick in 2023, to Miami.
Infielder Ryan Fitzgerald was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Fitzgerald played in 24 games for the Twins last year, making his MLB debut at age 31.
Wagaman, 28, started 94 games at first base for Miami last year. He also made 13 starts in left field, and he has MLB experience in right field and third base. The righthanded hitter notably posted a .783 OPS in 184 plate appearances against lefthanded pitching last season, creating a chance for him to seize a potential platoon role alongside Twins free-agent signing Josh Bell, who inked a one-year, $7 million deal.
At a minimum, Wagaman provides some additional organizational depth.
The Twins were light on first basemen in the majors and upper levels of the minor leagues. Kody Clemens, who hit a career-high 19 homers last year, and Edouard Julien were the primary incumbents, and Aaron Sabato was the top first baseman option at Class AAA. Sabato, a first-round pick in 2020, hit well in Class AA last year, but it was his fourth year repeating the level.
Wagaman, who debuted in 2024 with the Los Angeles Angels, maintains a low strikeout rate, but he has never hit for much power, particularly for a first baseman. He signed with Miami on a split contract after he was released by the Angels.
