According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Orioles placed infielder Ty Wigginton on waivers Wednesday afternoon. Again, most players are placed on waivers this time of year and it’s going to be hard for a claiming team to execute a trade. So let’s not get too worked up. But it is worth talking about.
Wigginton, 32, has thrown up a mediocre .261/.334/.456 batting line in 395 at-bats this year for Baltimore and isn’t a strong defender on the infield even though the O’s have played him at a variety of positions this season.
What he does bring is power, and there isn’t a contending team in baseball that would pass on adding a reliable power bat. Wigginton, a right-handed hitter, has tallied 18 home runs, 21 doubles and 60 RBI in 394 at-bats this season. Some of that production has been aided by the cozy confines of Baltimore’s Camden Yards, but he’s no slouch.
The Twins could use Wigginton as a fill-in for Justin Morneau, who is still nursing a concussion, the Red Sox could bring him on to ease the pain of losing Kevin Youkilis, and the White Sox have been on the hunt for offense ever since July. If he passes through waivers in the American League, a host of National League teams would have interest as well. The Cardinals are looking for corner infield help, the Giants need some run-scoring potential and the Padres certainly wouldn’t mind boosting their bench. We’ll see if something can be pulled off.