Ryan Fitzgerald looked solid in limited action as a 31-year-old rookie last season, posting 0.3 bWAR and a .196/.302/.457 (106 OPS+) slash line with four homers and nine RBI. Still, given his limited experience in the big leagues, the Twins decided that designating him for assignment to clear space for corner infielder/outfielder Eric Wagaman, whom the Twins acquired from the Miami Marlins, was in their best interest.
The Twins likely hoped Fitzgerald would clear waivers, but the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers claimed him. Then, four days later, the Dodgers designated Fitzgerald for assignment to clear space for infielder Andy Ibáñez.
Twins handed another L after Dodgers get their way with Ryan Fitzgerald
Luckily for Los Angeles, Fitzgerald cleared waivers, and the Dodgers outrighted him to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to MLB.com's transaction log. Now, the Dodgers can stash the infielder in the minors for the year and select his contract if the 26-man roster suffers numerous infield injuries.
It's too bad the Twins couldn't hold onto Fitzgerald, as he showed promise in his limited MLB action last season. However, he likely didn't make his MLB debut until he reached his 30s for a reason. Still, stashing him in Triple-A St. Paul would've been nice for infield depth.
Twins make it clear they prefer infielders with more experience than Ryan Fitzgerald
Instead of keeping Fitzgerald, the Twins have added three other utility infielders this offseason. In October, they claimed utilityman Ryan Kreidler, who has a .383 OPS in 211 career MLB plate appearances, off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then, they signed former Braves All-Star infielder Orlando Arcia, who can play all four infield positions, to a minor league deal. Additionally, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported earlier today that the Twins acquired utility infielder Tristan Gray from the Boston Red Sox for minor league catcher Nate Baez.
Still, the Twins were hoping to keep Fitzgerald. They just didn't want him holding a 40-man roster spot.
Ryan Fitzgerald will have tough time returning to majors with Dodgers
Fitzgerald will have a tough time returning to the majors with the Dodgers. Their infield is stacked, with Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman being their starting infielders. They also have solid infield bench options in Hyeseong Kim, World Series hero Miguel Rojas and Ibáñez. Infielder Alex Freeland will also likely get opportunities to play with the Dodgers in 2026.
But as us baseball fans know, injuries are inevitable. Fitzgerald's contract may be selected at some point in 2026 due to infielders suffering injuries. But for now, it appears he'll begin the 2026 season in Triple-A.