The Mets announced that they have claimed infielder Eric Wagaman off waivers from the Twins and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Minnesota had designated him for assignment last week. The Mets had a 40-man vacancy and don’t need to make a corresponding move. The Mets also announced that they have signed outfielder Austin Slater and designated outfielder Tommy Pham for assignment, moves that were reported yesterday.
Wagaman, to his credit, didn’t have a whole lot left to prove in the upper levels of the minors at one time. Drafted by the Yankees in 2017 out of Orange Coast CC, Wagaman had a slow and steady climb up the affiliate ranks, but he started to show some big league promise between 2022-2024. His worst “full season” line was a .258/.346/.468 line, good for a league-and-park-adjusted 123 wRC+ (100 is average) in 266 plate appearances spread between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2022. His work was even better the following year with Somerset: a .320/.355/.500 showing for a 146 wRC+ in 136 PAs. Perhaps due to his then-age (25), defensive limitations, or limited offensive upside, the Yankees passed on adding Wagaman to their 40-man roster to protect him during the Rule 5 Draft.
The Angels, however, saw enough to warrant a potential return to Orange County for the Mission Viejo native, adding him in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. While his numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake were less promising, the Angels granted him a cup of coffee in September 2024. His big league results, in 74 PAs, were uninspiring: a .250/.270/.403 line for a 87 wRC+ with little defensive or baserunning upside. Wagaman’s strong plate discipline also backslid, and without average power at a bat-first position, the Angels found little incentive to keep rostering him and elected to non-tender Wagaman, sending him to free agency.
The Marlins pounced with a major-league contract for 2025. In 514 PAs, Wagaman was able to somewhat rediscover his plate discipline at the major league level, but the power and contact quality further waned. Ultimately, his .250/.296/.378 line and 85 wRC+ didn’t look much different than his 2024 sample, but a below-average bat at an offense-first position was untenable. Miami cut bait with Wagaman following the 2025 campaign. The Twins were next in line for Wagaman’s services after an offseason swap, but after a poor showing (48 wRC+ with a 33.8 strikeout rate) in 74 PAs at Triple-A St. Paul, he was designated for assignment.
For now, Wagaman will look to regain his footing at Triple-A Syracuse while he awaits his next chance at the bigs. The Mets would certainly take any offensive boost they can at this point: they’ve scored the fewest runs in all of MLB. While Wagaman profiles best defensively as a first baseman, he’s shown some versatility covering the outfield corners and third base. Left field and third base are spoken for by Juan Soto and Bo Bichette, respectively, but Wagaman could be insurance for offseason signing Jorge Polanco (currently on the shelf with a wrist contusion) alongside Mark Vientos or in the right field mix with Tyrone Taylor, utilityman Brett Baty, and the newly acquired Slater.
There’s upside here for the Mets if the bat can come around: Wagaman’s controllable until 2031 and, perhaps more importantly, has all three option-years remaining. For a major league club that is currently starved for offense and seems open to shaking up the roster at the periphery among a league worst start, Wagaman represents a low-risk move that could potentially pay dividends.
Stunning moves! Mets on their way now with these new guys…
What other player move would you have suggested? Who else was available to sign at this point?
Did someone say former Yankee?
Wags n Slater to save the day
GOLLY! Color me impressed. Stearns really shaking things up.
Golly is a word that Duke Slater heard a lot.
Well, dog my cats!
More trash to fuel the dumpster fire!
Praise the Lord, we is saved!
He really does. What a clown.
I hope he can actually play 1st base at least on an average level. Mets can’t keep playing non 1st baseman at the position since they are not hitting at all to justify playing there.
Hasn’t played 1B in 7 years and then a total of 29 games over 2018-19.
He played in 117 games/ 94 game starts at 1st for the Fish last year according to baseball reference.
@MetsSkenes
Ha. I thought you were referring to Slater. You must have meant Wagaman.
Wagaman is a good dude and OC native. So I root for him. If he’s with the Mets this weekend in Anaheim he’ll have a solid cheering section.
How does Stearns spend $400 mil on a team that has no prospects ready and no one better than Eric Wagaman to be on the roster?
How are the team payroll and MLB-ready prospects in any way related?
Yeah not sure why I added that part. Its shocking that he has this organization in the position they are in currently. How did this terrible roster cost $400 mil?
ah yes. it feels so dang good to have seen this coming a mile a way. i warned everyone and was greeted in return by vulgarities and slander. and one the one constant, Mr I’m building a sustainable team like the dodgers yet, dumps our best players and somehow spent $370mm on this lot. Stearns is not a leader. he’s a little boy clinging on for dear life. i thought cohen would have had a backbone and fired him by now.
Maybe he’ll hire you instead.
Poster child for replacement player. Career WAR 0.0.
Still a nice pickup IMO . I hope he raises that WAR.
Glad to see Stearns is taking care of business. Outstanding.
Hoping the next Mets post is everyone was fired.
No matter the post, the comments will be great as always.
He’s good minor league depth. Wouldn’t mind if the Angels had him at triple-A again.
Mets fans he’s absolute garbage don’t get excited
Wagaman had several seriously damaging hits against the Mets when he played last year for Miami.
I can see why the Mets were interested. Torching Stearns for this signing is unwarranted.
Torching Stearns for getting a player who only hits good against the Mets is fully warranted. This team is awful and he built it. Deserves every bit of criticism since they can’t string together 3 wins in a row
Yup. That’s what they need