Guess who’s back?
You probably didn’t notice he left, but the Giants claimed infielder Engelb Vielma off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, adding Vielma to the 40-man roster for the second time in sixth months.
The Giants initially claimed Vielma off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins in September, but he spent just two months with the team before being claimed on waivers by the Phillies in mid-November. Three weeks after joining the Phillies, Vielma flipped teams again as he was claimed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It’s been a whirlwind of an offseason for Vielma, who is now back with the Giants for the foreseeable future. In Vielma’s case, it seems the future is always unclear.
The 23-year-old infielder hit just .206 with the Twins’ AAA-affiliate last season and received plenty of opportunities as he made 314 plate appearances. Vielma isn’t exactly a speed threat on the bases, as he notched just three stolen bases across two Minor League levels last year.
There’s obviously a market for Vielma’s services, and San Francisco is intrigued by his potential considering the Giants have now placed two waiver claims on the Venezuelan native since the start of September. If Vielma arrives in Spring Training with the club, it will be difficult for him to make the Major League roster considering Kelby Tomlinson, Pablo Sandoval, Ryder Jones and Minor League free agent Josh Rutledge will all be gunning for spots in the team’s infield.
Vielma spent the first six seasons of his Minor League career with the Twins, but he’s bounced from team-to-team in what has likely been a challenging offseason.