The Los Angeles Dodgers arguably don’t have many areas for improvement this offseason, but bolstering the defense in the outfield is a worthy objective.
Beyond second-year breakout star Andy Pages, the Dodgers didn’t have a regular starter in the outfield who played above-average defense. In the playoffs, they frequently used Justin Dean, who went to the San Francisco Giants on waivers after the season, as a late-inning replacement in center field.
It’s too early to say if the Dodgers will carry someone on the active roster in a similar role next year, but if so, they just found an excellent candidate on waivers themselves.
On Friday, the Dodgers claimed 26-year-old center fielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Atlanta Braves, per the transactions log on his official roster page. Siani only spent a month in the Atlanta organization, as he was previously waived by the St. Louis Cardinals and claimed by Atlanta on Nov. 6.
Siani has played in the majors in each of the past four seasons, but last year was his only stint in excess of 20 games. He’s proven to have limited offensive upside so far, slashing .221/.277/.270 in 383 plate appearances. That’s good for an OPS+ of 56, which is typically inexcusable from a big-league regular.
However, Siani’s defense in center field is fairly spectacular. He had a fielding run value of 13 and 16 outs above average in the outfield last season, making him one of the game’s premier defenders at any position.
Los Angeles’ 40-man roster was full as of Sunday evening, and Siani numbered among six outfielders. He could find himself in a competition with Alex Call and Ryan Ward in spring training for the fourth outfield spot on the active roster.
