Giants utility man Eddys Leonard is headed back to Triple-A Sacramento after clearing waivers and being outrighted, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser.
Leonard had been designated for assignment earlier this week, and because this was his first outright and he has only just reached the majors, he has to accept the assignment and stay with Sacramento.
The move cuts short a brief big league run for the 25-year-old, who made his major league debut and appeared in three games from August 4-8. In eight at-bats, he finished with a single, a double and two strikeouts.
Leonard’s path to this point has been a long one. The Dodgers signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, and he spent years working his way through their system as a lower-level prospect.
Los Angeles added him at the end of 2021 to keep him away from the Rule 5 Draft, but he never got into a big league game before being designated for assignment and dealt to the Tigers for cash at the 2023 trade deadline. From there, he kept moving through Triple-A stops with different organizations while using up his option years.
What has kept Leonard in the mix is the bat. He posted a 107 wRC+ in 282 plate appearances for the Tigers’ top affiliate in 2024. Last year in the Braves’ system, he was below average with a 94 wRC+, but he also trimmed his strikeout rate by 7.0%, down to 19.2%, while adding 20 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
He’s carried that momentum into 2026. Between the Brewers and Giants’ systems, Leonard has hit .272/.361/.509 with 16 home runs in 321 plate appearances. His 10.3% walk rate is above average, and his 125 wRC+ ranks him in the top 20% of Triple-A hitters.
That kind of production, plus the fact that he’s still only 25, should keep him on the Giants’ radar. The club dealt Heliot Ramos to the Yankees at the deadline, and Casey Schmitt is likely done for the year after meniscus surgery. Victor Bericoto, Drew Gilbert and Jung Hoo Lee are currently lined up from left to right, and Bericoto’s activation from the injured list on Tuesday is what pushed Leonard off the roster.
For now, Leonard won’t be in direct competition with Bericoto unless Bericoto slips later on. Buddy Kennedy, another utility player, has gone hitless since joining the Giants on a waiver claim early last week, so there could be a route for Leonard to take that roster spot if he keeps hitting in Sacramento and Kennedy keeps struggling. Leonard also brings defensive flexibility, with plenty of minor league experience both in the infield and the outfield.
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