The New York Yankees weren’t exactly shaking the earth on Friday afternoon, but General Manager Brian Cashman couldn’t resist the urge to tinker with the margins of his roster.
In a move that likely didn’t even trigger a push notification on your phone, the Bombers claimed outfielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers. It isn’t the kind of splash that sells jerseys or sends ticket prices soaring, but it is exactly the type of low-risk, high-utility depth move that keeps a front office sleeping soundly at night.
We need to be brutally honest about what Siani is and what he isn’t, because the back of his baseball card is a tale of two extremes.
The 26-year-old lefty has logged 160 games in the big leagues, and if you’re looking for offensive firepower, you are looking in the wrong place. Over 383 career plate appearances, he has slashed a meager .221/.277/.270, numbers that would barely play in Triple-A, let alone the Bronx. He spent the last two years floating through the St. Louis Cardinals system, and in his 19-game cup of coffee last season, he posted a wRC+ of 65, meaning he was 35% worse than the average hitter.
The Yankees Just Acquired a Defensive Wizard Who Can Save Runs in Sleep
But you don’t acquire Michael Siani to hit home runs; you acquire him to prevent them. This kid is a legitimate wizard with the leather, a defensive specialist who can patrol the expansive outfield of Yankee Stadium with his eyes closed. Back in 2024, when he was getting regular run with St. Louis, he logged 877.1 innings and put on a clinic.
The metrics tell the story better than I can. Siani racked up nine defensive runs saved and an eye-popping 16 outs above average (OAA) that season. His 13 Fielding Run Value proves he wasn’t just catching the easy ones; he was stealing hits in the gap and turning doubles into outs.
Why This Depth Move Could Save the Yankees When the Injury Bug Bites
So why bring him in now? It is simple insurance. The Yankees just committed massive money to Cody Bellinger and have Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham locked in, but we all know how quickly the injury bug can decimate an outfield. Siani isn’t here to steal a starting job or even secure a bench spot on Opening Day. He is a glorified spring training body who will likely be stashed in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a “break glass in case of emergency” option.
There is value in having a guy who can step in for a week, catch everything hit in his zip code, and lay down a bunt.