The Dodgers’ roster shuffle continues, and this time it’s Mike Siani making his way back to Los Angeles - again - while Andy Ibáñez finds himself designated for assignment.
Let’s start with Siani, who’s been on quite the tour this offseason. He opened the winter with the Cardinals, was claimed by Atlanta in early November, then landed with the Dodgers in December.
Not long after, L.A. DFA’d him to make room for Kyle Tucker, and the Yankees swooped in.
Now, after New York designated him last week, Siani is once again wearing Dodger blue.
So what exactly are the Dodgers getting here? Offensively, Siani’s numbers don’t jump off the page.
He’s a career .221 hitter with a .277 on-base and .270 slugging percentage across 160 big league games. He’s got a little bit of pop - two homers, seven doubles, and a couple of triples - but his value isn’t in the batter’s box.
What he does bring is speed (21 stolen bases) and elite defense.
And we’re not throwing that word around lightly. In 2024, Siani ranked in the 99th percentile for outs above average - a metric that essentially tells you how many plays a fielder makes above the league average. That’s gold-glove caliber defense in center field, and it’s why teams keep circling back to him despite the light bat.
In Triple-A with the Memphis Redbirds last season, Siani slashed .209/.307/.329 with 12 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs in 101 games. He also swiped 28 bags while getting caught just five times - showing the kind of basepath savvy that can still make an impact in today’s game, especially with the larger bases and pickoff limits.
The Dodgers clearly value his glove and speed enough to keep bringing him back, even if it means playing the DFA carousel.
Now, on the other side of this transaction is Andy Ibáñez, who just signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Dodgers less than a month ago. That move cost Ryan Fitzgerald his spot on the 40-man - though he stayed in the organization - and now it’s Ibáñez who’s on the bubble.
Ibáñez came over after being non-tendered by the Tigers, where he spent the last three seasons. He put up a respectable .251/.304/.392 line in Detroit, with 20 homers and 94 RBI in 304 games. But the offensive production has been streaky, and his overall 93 wRC+ suggests he’s been just a tick below league average at the plate.
Over his full MLB career, which includes time with the Rangers in 2021 and 2022, Ibáñez has appeared in 420 games and posted a .254/.305/.389 slash line with 28 home runs and 128 RBI. His best years came in 2021 and 2023, but outside of those, he’s struggled to consistently contribute offensively.
The challenge with Ibáñez is that he’s out of Minor League options. That means the Dodgers had to either carry him on the 26-man roster or DFA him - and with their infield depth, there just wasn’t a clear path to a roster spot. By designating him, the Dodgers are likely hoping he clears waivers and stays in the organization as depth.
Ibáñez had also been named to Cuba’s preliminary roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic but opted to skip the tournament to focus on preparing for the 2026 season - a move that now looks like it could help him stay ready if another opportunity arises.
For the Dodgers, this is another example of how they’re fine-tuning the margins of their roster. Siani gives them elite outfield defense and speed, which could prove valuable late in games or as injury insurance. Ibáñez, meanwhile, becomes a wait-and-see case - whether he stays in the system or gets scooped up elsewhere.
Bottom line: the Dodgers are making depth moves, and in Siani’s case, they’re betting that elite defense still has a place in today’s game - even if the bat hasn’t caught up yet.