Dodgers' corresponding Kyle Tucker roster move still leaves these 2 players in limbo

It took the Dodgers almost a week to make their Kyle Tucker signing official, and fans thought (or perhaps hoped) that we'd see an interesting roster move come out of it. Their Andy Ibáñez signing filled up the 40-man, so we were on roster crunch watch on Wednesday when the Dodgers were expected to hold Tucker's introductory press conference.

New rumors say the Dodgers are going to keep Teoscar Hernández (trading him always seemed unlikely anyway), and pivot to Ryan Ward and Bobby Miller, both of whom on the 40-man. Both are interesting trade chips, given Ward's lack of major league experience but huge power in Triple-A, and Miller's former top prospect status.

But the Dodgers decided to do the most boring possible thing to fit Tucker on the roster. They DFA'd outfielder Michael Siani, who was claimed off of waivers from the Braves in mid-December and looked like an obvious Esteury Ruiz/Justin Dean replacement.

No harm, no foul. Siani was the last one in, so it makes sense that he'd be the first one out, and there's still a chance he clears waivers and returns to the Dodgers' system. However, this still leaves questions as to Ward and Miller's futures.

Dodgers make Kyle Tucker signing official, DFA outfielder Michael Siani

Dodgers fans are much more excited to see what Ward might be capable of in the majors than see if Miller can bounce back. Ward hit .290 with a .937 OPS, 36 homers, and 122 RBI in 143 games in Triple-A, for which he was named the Pacific Coast League's MVP in 2025. He's not a top prospect and never has been, and the Dodgers ignored him entirely last season, even as fans' calls to see a promotion increased with every terrible Michael Conforto at-bat.

Ward's lack of top prospect hype probably means the Dodgers wouldn't get that much of a return in a trade for him, but the guy deserves a place to play. GM Brandon Gomes has said that the Dodgers are interested in finding ways to get him at-bats, but it's hard to see how he fits onto the Opening Day roster at all now that Tucker is here. He might have to wait for an injury to get a call-up with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers still have time to add even more and very well might (the Freddy Peralta rumors are still hot), at which point we might get a more interesting roster move than DFA'ing a waiver claim. As much as Dodgers fans want to see how Ward might contribute after yelling at the front office to notice him, he might be better off going to a team where he'd have a lot more room to breathe.