The Houston Astros are signing former Minnesota Twins first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. to a major-league contract with a $1 million base salary, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. The former Twins top prospect opted out of a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox last week. Since Houston's 40-man roster is full, the club will have to make a corresponding move to finalize Wade's contract.
The Twins traded Wade to the San Francisco Giants for right-handed pitcher Shaun Anderson on Feb. 4, 2021, after Wade slashed .211/.336/.347 (91 wRC+) in 113 MLB plate appearances with Minnesota from 2019-20. Wade immediately became a key bat for the Giants, hitting .253/.326/.482 (118 wRC+) over 109 games on San Francisco's 107-win 2021 team. Meanwhile, Anderson appeared in just four games with the Twins, posting a 9.35 ERA over 8 2/3 innings in 2021.
Wade struggled a bit in 2022, hitting .207/.305/.350 (93 wRC+) in 77 games, but quickly bounced back with strong 2023 and 2024 seasons, slashing .258/.376/.401 (120 wRC+) with 25 homers and 79 RBI across 252 games. Unfortunately, Wade's career took a major nosedive in 2025; the outfielder/first baseman hit just .167/.275/.271 (58 wRC+) in 169 plate appearances with San Francisco in 2025 before Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, Wade's old teammate, designated him for assignment in early June, then traded him to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later.
Wade continued to struggle upon being acquired by Los Angeles, slashing .169/.260/.215 (39 wRC+) in 73 plate appearances before being released in early August. Even though Wade regressed quite a bit last year, the Twins undeniably still lost the Anderson-Wade trade. Anderson did nothing but hurt the Twins in just four games, while Wade was a key part of the Giants' lineup for several years.
Wade has had a strong offensive season in Triple-A
Wade signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox on January 29, 2026. Despite hitting .289/.429/.605 in 49 plate appearances during spring training with Chicago, Wade didn't make the team's Opening Day roster. He re-signed with the White Sox a few days later. In 201 plate appearances with Triple-A Charlotte this year, Wade posted a .250/.420/.441 (124 wRC+) slash line with seven home runs and eight doubles.
Despite Wade's struggles last year, his strong .420 on-base percentage in the minors this year is an encouraging sign for the former Twin. It's much easier to hit at the Triple-A level than the big leagues, but Wade's elite plate discipline with the Knights showed he may still have some gas left in the tank.
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