The Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines on Tuesday by announcing the acquisition of outfielder Michael Siani, who they claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees. In a move to make room for Siani on their roster, the team has designated infielder Andy Ibanez for assignment. Ibanez had recently signed a one-year contract worth $1.2 million with the Dodgers earlier this offseason. The Dodgers are now hoping that the guaranteed salary will allow Ibanez to pass through waivers unclaimed, enabling them to keep him in Triple-A as a valuable depth player.
To say that Michael Siani's offseason in 2025-26 has been eventful would truly be an understatement. Originally selected by the Reds as an over-slot fourth-round pick back in 2018, Siani started this offseason with the St. Louis Cardinals but has since found himself with the Atlanta Braves, then the Dodgers, followed by the Yankees, and now he’s back with the Dodgers after a series of designated for assignment (DFA) moves and waiver claims.
With pitchers and catchers expected to report for spring training next week, this could finally provide Siani with an opportunity to secure a spot on a 40-man roster. As the training camp opens, teams will have the option to place injured players on the 60-day injured list (IL), even if they are not part of the Dodgers. Depending on how Brock Stewart recovers from his shoulder surgery in September, Los Angeles might need to open a 60-day IL spot. If that happens, it could give Siani some breathing room. However, if the Dodgers find it necessary to create a space on the 40-man roster and designate him again, Siani might end up with another team that has more candidates for the 60-day IL, allowing them greater flexibility to keep him on the roster.
At 26 years old, Siani has spent his major league career thus far with the Reds and Cardinals. Over the course of four seasons in the big leagues, he has posted a modest batting line of .221/.277/.270, translating to a wRC+ of 58. Despite these underwhelming offensive numbers, he has received high praise for his defensive abilities and baserunning skills. Across 1,014 innings in the outfield—mostly playing center field with occasional appearances in the corners—Siani has earned impressive ratings from Statcast, including 16 Outs Above Average (OAA) and 7 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Additionally, his base-stealing record stands at 21 successful steals out of 26 attempts, giving him an impressive success rate of nearly 81%.
One reason teams are still keen on claiming Siani is that he has one minor league option remaining. This means that if he does find a place on a roster during the season, he can serve as a reliable fourth or fifth outfielder while being stashed in the minors without having to go through waivers.
On the other hand, Andy Ibanez, who is 32 years old, signed a major league contract in mid-January. It’s quite unusual for a player to sign a free agent deal and then be designated for assignment just three weeks later. Given that Ibanez is out of options and his contract is relatively inexpensive, he was always a candidate for such a decision. Other teams may hesitate to claim him due to his higher salary compared to league minimums, especially with many rosters filled to capacity. Should he clear waivers, Ibanez holds the right to decline a minor league assignment and opt for free agency, although doing so would mean giving up any guaranteed money left in his contract, likely leading him to accept the assignment instead.
Ibanez’s major league experience spans parts of five seasons, primarily with the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers. He has an overall batting average of .254 with a .304 on-base percentage and a .389 slugging percentage. Notably, he performs better against left-handed pitching, boasting a .280 batting average, .372 on-base percentage, and .452 slugging percentage in those matchups. His versatility allows him to play multiple positions, including first base, second base, third base, or left field, making him an asset for a contending team, particularly if he can be utilized as Triple-A depth. However, Ibanez did experience a downturn in performance during the 2025 season, even when facing lefties, finishing with a somewhat average slash line of .258/.311/.403 when in a favorable matchup.
Since Ibanez signed a major league deal, he cannot be traded without his consent until June 15. It’s anticipated that he will be placed on waivers within the next five days, at which point he’ll enter a 48-hour waiting period to determine whether another club claims him or if he will be assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
