When the Dodgers signed Andy Ibanez last month, it raised a few eyebrows. Not because it was an outlandish deal (quite the opposite — 1 year, $1.2 million), but because he didn’t really seem to fit what the Dodgers were looking for in a depth piece on a championship-caliber club.
Here’s what I wrote about the signing:
“Ibanez, 33 in April, was is coming a couple of below-average offensive seasons with the Tigers after posting a 103 wRC+ with them in 2023. He has hit a combined .240/.297/.355 with an 85 wRC+ over the last two seasons (437 plate appearances).”
“(He’s n)ot a platinum-glover, but certainly more than capable at either position. He’s actually been pretty solid defensively in 265 1/3 innings at first base (6 DRS, 2 OAA), but he isn’t going to take plate appearances from Freddie Freeman on the regular. He also has 160 outfield innings on defense (LF/RF). For as much third base as he has played, his arm strength doesn’t really fit the profile. He’s consistently in the bottom 10 percentile of arm strength. He averaged 75 MPH on throws from third base last season. By comparison, Max Muncy averaged 84.2 MPH from third base, and we know his arm won’t ever be confused for Adrian Beltre‘s. It’s a 20-grade arm and should probably stick to the right side of second base. However, he can pick it at third, so he could get some time there in a pinch.”
Really, his signing was meant to be insurance against Tommy Edman missing the start of the season — which seems more likely than ever. They claimed and have since designated Ryan Fitzgerald for assignment. He accepted his assignment to Oklahoma City, which is probably where Ibanez ends up, too.
But why give him a guaranteed MLB deal if he was just going to be DFA’d at some point — even before Spring Training? Ben Rortvedt.
Huh? Allow me to explain.
The Dodgers DFA’d Rortvedt shortly after avoiding arbitration with him — a $1.25 million pact. The thought process was that no team would claim him to be a fringe 40-man roster guy because the claiming team would be responsible for the $1.25 million salary. The Reds weren’t deterred, as they claimed him and looked like they might have found their No. 3 catcher. Alas, Rortvedt was DFA’d yesterday to make room for Eugenio Suarez. The Reds are, probably, hoping no one claims him, which would allow him to report to Triple-A Louisville. But it’s the same calculus the Dodgers had — DFA’ing a fringe MLBer who’s making more than the MLB minimum in hopes of stashing said player in Triple-A and ready to claim a 40-man roster spot during the season, if necessary. It’s not exactly a win-win for the player, as he isn’t in the majors, but he’s also making more than the MLB minimum while playing in the minor leagues.
Ibanez could be following this same path. Like Rortvedt, Ibanez is light with the bat, but he at least has a little bit of defensive chops (i.e., he plays more than one position). If he clears waivers and accepts the assignment to OKC, he could very well find his way to Los Angeles during the 2026 season. Enrique Hernandez is still unsigned (though, both sides want a reunion; it’ll likely come within the next couple weeks), the verdict on Hyeseong Kim‘s bat is still out, Miguel Rojas is entering his final season and Alex Freeland might need more seasoning in Triple-A.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a new trend around MLB (if not just for the Dodgers, specifically) — signing an arbitration-eligible or veteran player to a small, MLB contract only to DFA him when the roster spot is needed. The signing team values said player enough to want the deal, but the signing team also doesn’t want to lose the player for whatever reason(s). If this is to become a new trend to accumulate organizational depth — a new market inefficiency, perhaps — I’d hope it’s communicated clearly to the player and his agent/agency. Then again, if you’re signing a deal for just north of $1 million in today’s MLB, you’re probably already aware of the roster risk involved. Players on the fringes of the 40-man roster are well aware of their standing, but this usually happens with guys making the minimum or who are recently up from the minors.
Oh, and Ibanez was DFA’d so the Dodgers could claim center fielder Michael Siani — the guy they claimed from Atlanta earlier in the offseason only to DFA him for Kyle Tucker. Siani was claimed by the Yankees after the Dodgers jettisoned him, only for the Dodgers to bring him back after the Yankees jettisoned him.
Still following?
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What this all really seems like is yet another way for the Dodgers to use their financial advantage. Not every team would choose to pay Quad-A players more than Quad-A players normally make, and that could allow the Dodgers to stockpile talent in the upper minors for (likely) short stints at the MLB level. Plus the Dodgers can always hope getting more fringe guys with tools into their “lab” works out to some Muncy/Chris Taylor magic.
Now it’s possible this is all coincidental and there’s no new norm, but let’s just see how the Dodgers operate on the fringes going forward. They’ve always looked for ways to upgrade the very end of the roster, and that might now be spilling into the Triple-A ranks in an interesting way.
