The San Francisco Giants have acquired outfielder Joey Wiemer from the Miami Marlins in a trade for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated catcher Andrew Knizner for assignment.
The Marlins had designated Wiemer, a former top prospect, for assignment earlier this week. The 26-year-old was a fourth-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 and has since played for the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals before being claimed by Miami in August.
In parts of three major league seasons, Wiemer has posted a career batting line of .205/.279/.359 across 499 plate appearances. While his overall numbers have been modest, the right-handed hitter has shown significant power against left-handed pitching, batting .255/.298/.484 with a 106 wRC+ against them.
Wiemer’s primary strengths are his defensive versatility and skill. He is capable of playing all three outfield positions at a high level, backed by strong defensive metrics that include a combined 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 7 Outs Above Average over 1249 innings.
Because he is out of minor league options, Wiemer must remain on San Francisco’s roster or be placed on waivers again. He projects as a right-handed bench option who could platoon with Drew Gilbert in right field. His acquisition intensifies the roster competition with former prospects Luis Matos and Marco Luciano, who are also out of options.
Knizner, who turns 31 in February, was projected to earn $1.3 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. The veteran catcher hit .221/.299/.299 in 88 plate appearances for the Giants this season. A career .211/.281/.316 hitter, Knizner has shown improved pitch framing but struggles to control the running game. If unclaimed in a trade, he is expected to be non-tendered.
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