Former MN Twins Infielder Joins World Series Champ

The Minnesota Twins haven’t done much heavy lifting this offseason. They did sign free agent first baseman Josh Bell to take over for the departure of Ty France. Beyond that though, changes have largely been made on the fringes.

Even if not all moves made are equal, the reality is that roster spots still have to be accounted for. Unfortunately for Ryan Fitzgerald, he was the odd man out after Derek Falvey swung a trade for Eric Wagaman. He didn’t even make it through waivers though.

Los Angeles Dodgers claim Ryan Fitzgerald

After more than 700 games in the minor leagues, undrafted infielder Ryan Fitzgerald finally made his big league debut last season. He played in 24 games for the Minnesota Twins as a backup shortstop, and now has landed with the reigning World Series champion.

Sources: The Dodgers have claimed INF Ryan Fitzgerald from the Twins.

Fitzgerald, 31, spent 24 games in the majors last season and slashed .277/.367/.469 in 59 Triple-A games. Can play SS, 3B, 2B. He was DFA’d last week.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) January 9, 2026

Dodgers reporter Alden Gonzalez noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers have claimed the former Twins infielder. Dave Roberts’ team has Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas at second base. Mookie Betts is the starting shortstop and Max Muncy is the third baseman..

Obviously Fitzgerald isn’t going to garner significant playing time for Los Angeles. Right now though, they felt his abilities were worth placing on their 40-man roster.

During his 24 games with Minnesota, Fitzgerald slashed .196/.302/.457 with nine hits. Four of them left the yard, and his 106 OPS+ (albeit a minute sample) had him above league average. The Dodgers might see Fitzgerald as a nice depth piece, and they are the pinnacle of organizations to join.

Minnesota hosts the Dodgers at Target Field this season from June 22-24.