Eddys

Leonard

All three players had been designated for assignment on Tuesday as the Tigers attempted to clear some room on their 40-man roster, so it’s not shocking that none of the players were tendered contracts. Leonard actually had a decent season in 67 games at Triple-A Toledo in 2024 — hitting .263/.326/.455 with 10 homers, 26 RBI and seven swipes in 282 plate appearances — but never got an opportunity at the big-league level. It may need to be a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, but Leonard shouldn’t have any difficulty finding another opportunity.

It’s a bit of housekeeping for Detroit as they manage to clear three spots on their 40-man roster to shield some of their better prospects from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Leonard was reportedly in the running for a bench spot with Detroit, but the club ultimately will send him down to Triple-A to start the season. The 23-year-old posted a .904 OPS in 40 games with Triple-A Toledo in 2023, so there’s likely a chance he gets an opportunity down the road barring an injury.

Leonard is the only one out of the three yet to make his major league debut. The 23-year-old was traded to the Tigers last summer after he was jettisoned off the Dodger’s 40-man roster. Leonard posted a .302/.374/.530 with eight homers across 171 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo. He would give the Tigers more roster flexibility as he can play multiple spots on the infield dirt.

The Dodgers had designated Leonard for assignment earlier in the week and were willing to flip him for anything they could get, and the Tigers took advantage. The 22-eyar-old has hit .254/.327/.411 with 11 homers and 44 RBI in 388 plate appearances. He’ll report to Triple-A Toledo.

The 22-year-old infielder has had a decent season at Double-A Tulsa — slashing .254/.327/.411 with 11 homers, 44 RBI and three stolen bases in 388 plate appearances. There could be another club willing to take a chance on him on waivers.

The 22-year-old infielder was awfully impressive during his time in Cactus League action, hitting .409 (9-for-22) with a homer, five RBI and a stolen base. He spent the entire 2022 season at High-A Great Lakes and is likely to jump up to Double-A Tulsa to begin the 2023 campaign.

It’s the fifth and sixth homer of the season for Leonard, respectively, and he also drove in five runs while drawing a walk. It’s been a solid start to the season for the 21-year-old, as the three-hit effort now has him slashing .271/.365/.517 over 32 games with the Loons. SIgned back in 2017, Leonard has a chance for above-average power and hit tools, and there’s enough speed here to project double-digit steals, as well. The Dodgers have done an outstanding job with this type of profile, so while Leonard projects as a solid regular now, there is a chance for more as he continues to develop.

The quartet were among Los Angeles’ first round of roster cuts and will spend the remainder of the spring on the minor-league side of Dodgers’ camp.

Leonard has been added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster and will be protected from next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The 21-year-old infielder hit .296/.390/.539 with 22 home runs across 492 plate appearances between Low-A Rancho Cucamonga and High-A Great Lakes.