A pair of former Los Angeles Dodgers found themselves on the losing end of baseball's non-tender deadline last week when the Detroit Tigers designated Eddys Leonard and Ricky Vanasco for assignment.
Vanasco started the 2024 regular season with the Dodgers, but he was traded to the Tigers just before the MLB trade deadline in exchange for cash considerations. The right-hander logged an impressive 1.06 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 17 innings in 11 appearances for Triple-A Toledo, and he even pitched two scoreless innings over a pair of MLB innings for Detroit.
The Dodgers traded Leonard to Detroit after first designating him for assignment in August 2023. The shortstop missed multiple months of the 2024 regular season due to two separate stints on the injured list, but he slashed .263/.326/.455 with seven stolen bases, 10 home runs and 26 RBI over 282 plate appearances in 67 games for Triple-A Toledo. Leonard, who first signed as a free agent with the Dodgers in 2017, has yet to make his major league despite being recalled twice by Detroit last season.
Both Vanasco and Leonard will now enter free agency and are free to sign with any team this offseason.
Former Dodgers hit free agency amid non-tender deadline roster crunch
The Tigers' DFA of Leonard in particular was widely considered to be more of a surprise than Vanasco. He had held a spot on Detroit's 40-man roster since joining the organization in 2023, and the Tigers don't have a lot of depth at the shortstop position.
Ultimately, however, Leonard and Vanasco – along with relief pitcher Brendan White – were DFA'd to make space for upper level bullpen arms in Chase Lee, Tyler Mattison and Tyler Owens, thereby protecting them from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft in December.
In the end, it's hard to blame a team on the rise like the Tigers for prioritizing their bullpen depth at the expense of Leonard and Vanasco. Healthy bullpen arms are important for any team looking to go on a lengthy postseason run; the Dodgers know a thing or two about that.
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