Marlins Gamble on Double-A Reliever as Return on Trading Eric Wagaman
In this story:
Turns out the Miami Marlins were ready to move on from Eric Wagaman. A minor league reliever was all it took.
The Marlins traded Wagaman to the Minnesota Twins on Friday for Double-A reliever Kade Bragg, a right-hander who was sent to Double-A Pensacola after the trade. The Marlins dealt Wagaman after he was designated for assignment to make room for reliever Pete Fairbanks on the 40-man roster. DFA’ing a player is a gamble that he can clear waivers so he can be optioned back to the minors. The Marlins also have the option of trading the player if there is interest.
The Marlins are giving up on a player that couldn’t be a free agent until 2031 and slashed .250/.296/.378 with nine home runs and 53 RBI. The signing of Christopher Morel and the intention of playing him at first base, despite no experience at the position, made Wagaman somewhat expendable.
Now, the Marlins hope the return — Bragg — can become a Major League reliever one day.
About Kade Bragg
Strikeout sequence from new Marlins LHP Kade Bragg.
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) January 2, 2026
Bragg was one of the better relief-only prospects in the Twins system last season and has a 2.74 ERA in his MiLB career (75.2 IP).
6'1" with above-average extension. Fastball velo about 93 mph and mainly pitches off of that. pic.twitter.com/aXUcS0C6wO
The Twins selected Bragg in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Angelo State, which is in San Angelo, Texas. He underwent Tommy John surgery and missed a considerable portion of the 2024 season. He returned to pitch in six games, finishing with a 1.06 ERA, nine strikeouts and five walks in 8.1 innings.
Minnesota has treated the right-hander as a reliever-only prospect and he thrived last season. He went 8-2 with three different affiliates, with a 2.94 ERA in 67.1 innings. He struck out 82 and walked 31, allowing batters to hit just .193 against him. He also had a 1.13 WHIP.
The Marlins already have a strong bullpen at the Major League level. But Fairbanks is pitching on a one-year deal and is likely to take another crack at free agency next offseason. Ronny Henriquez underwent elbow surgery and won’t back until 2027. The rest of the bullpen is either arbitration-eligible or pre-arbitration, and most of them have multiple years of team control.
Bragg doesn’t have to be in a hurry to develop. But he made considerable progress in 2025, pitching all the way to Double-A. He pitched in 15 games there, going 4-0 with a 3.22 ERA. Batters hit .179 against him.
It’s likely that Bragg will start the season at Pensacola. But, if he tracks in 2026 as he did in 2025, he could earn a call-up to Triple-A Jacksonville sometime in the season. Based on his standard numbers, he makes hitters miss, doesn’t give up hard contact and gets a lot of outs. He also has closer experience with six saves in 11 career chances.
The Marlins might have something in Bragg. He’ll be given the time figure it out.
