The Dodgers announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed outfielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Yankees. Infielder Andy Ibanez, who just signed a one-year $1.2MM deal with L.A. earlier in the offseason, has been designated for assignment to open a roster spot. As is relatively common around the league, they’ll now hope that guaranteed salary helps sneak Ibanez through waivers unclaimed, so he can be stashed in Triple-A as a depth piece.
To call the 2025-26 offseason a whirlwind for Siani, an over-slot fourth-round pick of the Reds back in 2018, would be an understatement. He began the offseason as a Cardinals but has since bounced to the Braves, Dodgers, Yankees and now back to the Dodgers via a series of DFAs and waiver claims.
With pitchers and catchers slated to report to spring training next week, Siani could finally have a path to stick on a 40-man roster. Once camp opens, teams will be able to place injured players on the 60-day IL, even if it’s not with the Dodgers. Los Angeles could need a 60-day spot for Brock Stewart, depending on his recovery from September shoulder surgery. That could give him a little bit of cushion, but if L.A. needs to open a 40-man spot and once again designates him, Siani could land with another team that has more 60-day IL candidates and thus more flexibility to keep him on the 40-man.
Siani, 26, has spent his entire big league career with the Reds and Cardinals. In parts of four major league seasons, he carries a tepid .221/.277/.270 batting line (58 wRC+). However, he’s drawn excellent grades for his defense and baserunning. He’s played 1014 major league innings in the outfield — primarily in center but with fleeting corner appearances mixed in — and been credited with outstanding marks from Statcast’s Outs Above Average (16) and from Defensive Runs Saved (7). He’s also gone 21-for-26 in stolen base attempts, giving him a success rate of nearly 81%.
Siani has a minor league option remaining, which helps to explain why teams continue to claim him; if he ever makes it to the season with one club, he’s a nice fourth or fifth outfielder who can be stashed in the minors without needing to pass through waivers.
The 32-year-old Ibanez signed a major league deal in mid-January. It’s rare to see a player sign as a free agent and then be designated for assignment three weeks later, but since he’s out of options and signed a low-cost deal, Ibanez always felt like a candidate for this sort of move. Other clubs might be reluctant to claim him when he’s making more than the league minimum and rosters around the game are generally at capacity. If he clears waivers, he’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency, but doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of any guaranteed money, so he’d surely accept.
Ibanez has played in parts of five major league seasons, all as a Ranger or Tiger. He’s a .254/.304/.389 hitter overall but a .280/.372/.452 hitter against left-handed pitching, specifically. Add in that he can capably handle first base, second base, third base or left field, and he’s a nice bench piece for a contender (particularly if he can be stashed as Triple-A depth). Ibanez did have a down season in 2025, even against left-handed pitching, slashing a roughly average .258/.311/.403 when holding the platoon advantage.
Since he signed as a free agent on a major league deal, Ibanez can’t be traded without his consent before June 15. He’ll very likely be placed on waivers at some point within the next five days, at which point he’d go through a 48-hour waiting period before learning whether he was claimed by another club or outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Does this mean that they have reached a deal with Kike Hernandez?
Kike will be out for a while, so they’ll wait closer to his return to get a deal done. Ibanez is probably his filler until then
Unless he has miraculously healed and is ready for the start of spring training, I don’t Kike will re-sign until May/June. With the signing of Tucker, Edman goes back to the infield and it looks like Ibanez’s left out.
Im tellin you Siani is the goods defensively
Siani seems like he could be a guy that ends up being an All-Star with the Dodgers
More likely a postseason defensive replacement
More likely the hero for not touching the ball like Justin Dean.
Honestly quite confused with this move. Signing Ibanez to a major league deal, then just DFA him for someone they previously had.
Somebody better pick up Ibanez and not let the Dodgers get away with this!
He was redundant with Rojas, Freeland, Kim & possible Keekay later.
AF makes insurance moves all the time so no confusion needed.
The team that ends up picking him up has to pay his contract. I don’t think any team is going to pay a depth piece that kind of money. Will be surprised if he gets claimed, and pretty sure he’ll just accept the assignment and not risk losing out on the money.
it’s literally $420,000 over the Major League Minimum of $780,000! Plenty of teams pay that much for their bench players.
While Ibanez isn’t a slugger, he’s useful to a team that is heavily left-handed, like the Mariners — all four of their starting infielders bat left-handed. Ibanez’s career OPS of .778 vs. left-handed pitching makes him a great fit for Seattle.
This guy is perfect for Seattle. Last bat for their bench to spell their entirely LH infield.
perfect fit,. even if they don’t have much money left in the budget, any team could afford Ibanez. Hopefully SEA will claim him.
Also hoping they re-up with Mitch Garver, at something between $3-5M. Still unsigned.
It’s like deja vu all over again.
It is Feb. 3rd
LA just burning money.
Infielder Andy Ibanez, who just signed a one-year $1.2MM deal with L.A.
Never seen an organization just dole out the riches although 1.2 ain’t what it used to be but this team pays over 162M just for having a high payroll.
That is what that smell was…burning money.
doling out the riches? It’s practically pennies — $420,000 above the Major League minimum salary ($780,000) that any team has to pay for a rookie with no experience or pedigree.
Clever way to get around the 40-man roster limit for teams with endless resources. Logical endpoint for this will be a few AAA teams with payrolls rivaling some of the poorest MLB teams.
Ibanez will get claimed by another team, probably multiple teams. it’s literally $420,000 above the MLB minimum salary!
They also have Gibson, Fender and Gretsch down on the farm to go with Ibanez.
Friedman replaces a can of corn on the shelf for a can of chili. What the Dodgers need is to bring Justin Turner back to at least platoon with Muncy.
No minor leagues teams pay the players salary.. All players & Minor league coaches are pay by there Parents club. period…
Minor league teams only required to pay there workers, and bills.. They have nothing to do with players money because they wouldn’t be able to afford it..
Feel like this is a Reds pickup