While the official announcement of Carl Edwards Jr.’s contract won’t come until later this week, the Mariners did announce another signing on Wednesday — inking veteran infielder Patrick Wisdom to a one-year contract. While details were not official, sources indicate it’s a split minor league/major league contract, meaning the MLB salary portion doesn’t kick in until Wisdom is added to the 25-man roster.
Wisdom, 28, spent most of last season with the Texas Rangers’ Class AAA affiliate in Nashville, playing first base and third base. He posted a .240/.332/.513 slash line with 15 doubles, 31 homers and 74 RBI in 107 games. He appeared in nine games with the Rangers, hitting .154 (4 for 26) with a double and an RBI.
As he has done in the past, general manager Jerry Dipoto is taking a low-risk chance on a former first-round draft pick. Wisdom was taken in the supplemental first round of the 2012 draft — 52nd overall — by the Cardinals.
He spent seven seasons in the Cardinals organization, making his MLB debut on August 28, 2018. He played in 32 games for St. Louis, posting a .260/.362/.520 slash line with a double, four homers and 10 RBI.
Wisdom’s natural position is third base, but he has played some first base and played a handful of games in the corner outfield spots. He appears to be an organizational depth signing.
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