Wagaman, 28, signed a split contract with Miami last winter after being undrafted by the Angels. He started more than half of the club’s games at first base. The right-handed hitter was on the MLB roster all year, racking up 514 plate appearances. His .250/.296/.378 slash line with nine home runs wasn’t enough to rank first as a regular player. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each rated him slightly worse than replacement level.
First base was probably Miami’s biggest weakness this offseason. You could say that this is still the case, even if it seems like they intend to give Christopher Morel the job after signing a $2 million free agent contract. Morel himself is coming off two consecutive seasons at replacement level. However, he’s a better athlete with flashier tools than Wagaman brings to the table, and he has a pair of 20-home run seasons on his resume.
Wagaman has better bat-to-ball skills, but limited power potential. He has some flexibility in being able to play all four corners, although his average speed and arm strength make him a marginal defender. Wagaman probably fits best as a bench player who can do some damage in a favorable platoon environment. He hit .283/.321/.462 with five home runs, 14 doubles and a triple in 184 at-bats against left-handed pitchers this year. Miami’s first base/DH mix with Morel, Agustin Ramirez And Heriberto Hernández already crookedly right-handed.
A team that is heavier on left-handed bats could target Wagaman via a small trade or waiver claim. He still has a full slate of minor league options and will not be eligible for arbitration for the next two years. Teams normally have five days after a DFA to trade or put a player on waivers. The clock stops between Christmas and New Year’s Day, so Wagaman probably won’t know where he will end up until the second week of January. He wouldn’t have the time to refuse an outright assignment if no waivers were claimed from him.
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