The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed utilityman Ryan Fitzgerald off waivers from the Minnesota Twins in a move that was finalized Friday afternoon.
Fitzgerald was designated for assignment by the Twins at the beginning of the year in order to make room on their 40-man roster for Eric Wagaman. That came as Wagaman was acquired by Minnesota in a trade that sent Minor League pitcher Kade Bragg to the Miami Marlins.
Fitzgerald played in 24 games with Minnesota last year in his debut season, batting .196/.302/.457 with four home runs and nine RBI. While with Triple-A St. Paul in 2025, he batted .277/.367/.469 with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 31 RBI.
Over seven Minor League seasons, Fitzgerald has played in 708 games with a .258 batting average and 76 homers.
He has experience playing first base, second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions. The bulk of Fitzgerald’s time in the Minors has come as a shortstop.
Fitzgerald should serve as Minor League depth with the Dodgers, given that he has two option years remaining. But with his MLB experience and versatility, it would also be surprising if Fitzgerald doesn’t spend at least some of the season at the MLB level.
The Illinois native was originally an undrafted free agent and signed his first professional contract with the Boston Red Sox on May 15, 2018.
Dodgers signed Andy Ibáñez
The Dodgers also agreed to a one-year contract with utilityman Andy Ibáñez on a Major League deal.
Ibáñez was non-tendered by the Detroit Tigers in November and became a free agent after that. He has spent the last three seasons in Detroit, hitting a combined .251/.304/.392 with 20 home runs, 96 runs, 94 RBI and a 93 wRC+ in 304 games.
The right-handed hitter also spent two seasons with the Texas Rangers from 2021-22. Over his career, he’s hit .254/.305/.389 with 28 home runs, 140 runs, 128 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a 92 wRC+ and 3.6 WAR across 420 games.
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