1:22PM: The Braves signed Leonard to a minor league contract, KPRC2’s Ari Alexander experiences.
7:53AM: The Tigers launched Eddys Leonard from the Triple-A Toledo roster, based on the infielder/outfielder’s MLB.com profile web page. Leonard has spent the components of the final two seasons in Detroit’s group and re-signed a brand new minor league deal final December after being non-tendered and faraway from the membership’s 40-man roster.
A veteran of six minor league seasons within the Dodgers’ and Tigers’ farm methods, Leonard has but to crack the massive leagues throughout his professional profession. His probabilities at a call-up in 2024 would possibly’ve been marred by accidents, as an indirect pressure and a hamstring pressure restricted Leonard to solely 82 whole video games (67 in Toledo, and 15 on the Tigers’ A-level groups as a part of rehab assignments).
When Leonard did play, he hit .263/.326/.455 with 10 homers over 282 plate appearances on the Triple-A stage. This efficiency got here on the heels of a .302/.374/.530 slash line in 171 PA with Toledo in 2023, so Leonard might have more and more little to show within the higher minors. Nevertheless, he hit poorly in Spring Coaching this yr, maybe costing himself a major alternative to interrupt camp with a Tigers group was seeking to fill some roster holes on account of harm.
The 24-year-old Leonard will now return to the open market, seeking to land with a group in want of some versatile depth. Shortstop is Leonard’s main place, however he has additionally seen quite a lot of time at second and third base and in heart discipline, plus a handful of video games within the different two outfield positions. In 2024, Leonard caught nearly solely to infield work, which can have been associated to his harm issues moderately than a definite shift in the direction of changing into an infield-only participant.
