Marlins add first baseman/third baseman who broke into majors with Angels in September
The Marlins added infield depth on Friday when they signed Eric Wagaman to a one-year deal.
The right-handed hitting Wagaman played seven seasons in the minors before breaking into the majors last season as a September call-up with the Los Angeles Angels.
In 18 games and 74 plate appearances, he hit .250 (.270 on base) with two homers and 10 RBI. He started 17 games at third base for the Angels.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Marlins designated infielder Vidal Brujan for assignment. He hit .202 (.303 on base) with two homers, 16 RBI in 102 games and 278 plate appearances.
Wagaman spent most of last season in Double A and Triple A, hitting a combined .274 (.339 on base) with 17 homers and 60 RBI, and 28 doubles, in 121 games. He stole 10 bases in 14 attempts. The Angels designated him for assignment on Nov. 19.
Wagaman, 27, was a 13th round pick of the Yankees in 2017, out of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Cal.
In seven minor league seasons, he has hit .249 (.319 on base) with 58 homers and 230 RBI in 514 games. In his minor league career, he played 341 games at first base, 31 games at third base at 47 in the outfield, mostly right field, and 37 games as a designated hitter.
Connor Norby is expected to be the Marlins’ third baseman next season, though he can also play second base. Norby hit .247 with seven homers and 17 RBI in 36 games for the Marlins after his July acquisition from Baltimore. He started 30 of those 36 games at third base.
Jonah Bride is positioned to be the Marlins’ first baseman unless they find somebody better. Bride hit .276 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 71 games for the Marlins last season.
Like Wagaman, Marlins prospect Deyvison De Los Santos can also play first and third base. De Los Santos led the minors in home runs last season with 40.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 5:03 PM.
