The Los Angeles Dodgers may not have many obvious needs to address this offseason, but improving their outfield defense stands out as a sensible priority.
Aside from second-year breakout Andy Pages, the Dodgers lacked a consistent outfielder who provided above-average defense. During the postseason, they often turned to Justin Dean as a late-inning defensive substitute in center field before he was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants after the season.
While it remains unclear whether the Dodgers will dedicate an active roster spot to a similar defensive role next year, if they choose to do so, they may have already identified a strong option through their own waiver claim.
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.
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