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.