When the Dodgers officially added Kyle Tucker to their roster, they made what looked like a routine move - designating outfielder Michael Siani for assignment to clear a 40-man spot. At the time, it seemed like a minor transaction.
Siani, a glove-first, speed-heavy outfielder claimed off waivers from the Braves, wasn’t expected to play a major role in 2026. He profiled more as a late-season depth piece - the type of player you stash for emergencies or call up when you need a pinch-runner with wheels.
With Tucker, Edwin Díaz, and Andy Ibáñez as their only major league additions this offseason, the Dodgers appeared to be done tinkering. The roster looked set. But in true Dodgers fashion, they weren’t quite finished.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles reversed course and brought Siani back - claiming him off waivers from the Yankees and, in a surprising twist, designating Andy Ibáñez for assignment just three weeks after signing him to a guaranteed $1.2 million deal.
That’s right - the same Ibáñez who was supposed to be a stopgap infield option, potentially holding the fort until Tommy Edman or Kiké Hernández were ready to go. He’s now off the roster before even reporting to spring training.
The Dodgers’ front office has never been shy about making bold, sometimes head-scratching roster moves, but this one raises eyebrows. Siani had just been claimed by the Yankees on January 23 - two days after the Dodgers first DFA’ed him - only to be let go five days later when New York picked up reliever Kaleb Ort. Ort, for what it’s worth, has since been DFA’ed himself and is now with the Angels.
It’s a game of musical chairs, and the Dodgers are playing it with confidence - and deep pockets. While $1.2 million is a meaningful chunk of change for most teams, it’s a rounding error for a franchise with the financial might of L.A. If they end up paying Ibáñez to sit on someone else’s bench, so be it.
Still, this move suggests the front office sees something in Siani that goes beyond what’s obvious on paper. He’s not a bat-first guy, and his offensive upside is limited.
But his speed and defense are real tools - and maybe the Dodgers believe that in a postseason pinch, he could be their next Justin Dean-type contributor. After all, Dean came out of nowhere to make a World Series impact.
Stranger things have happened.
There’s also a strategic element in play. Roster flexibility matters, especially for a team that expects to play deep into October.
Siani gives them late-inning defensive coverage and base-stealing potential. And if the Dodgers are confident they can sneak Ibáñez through waivers and stash him in Triple-A, they might end up keeping both players in the organization anyway.
At the end of the day, this is the Dodgers doing what they do best - maximizing every roster spot, even if it means making moves that don’t immediately make sense to the outside world. They’ve built a reputation on turning depth into difference-makers, and they’re clearly not done trying to find the next one.
Whether Siani ends up playing a meaningful role or not, this move is another reminder that in L.A., no roster spot is ever truly safe - and no transaction is ever just a footnote.