Dodgers to sign IF Andy Ibanez to MLB deal, raising some questions – Dodgers Digest

A little over four hours ago I wrote that the Dodgers might have one problem at second base. It seems they took the message to heart.

IF Andy Ibanez has agreed to terms on a one-year major league deal with the Dodgers, pending physical, per source.

Ibanez, 32, was non-tendered by the Tigers in November.

— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) January 9, 2026

Okay, maybe Andy Ibanez – And Ryan Fitzgeraldwho she exemptions claimed earlier in the day – don’t dissolve the issue, but it’s an interesting signing for a number of reasons.

Ibanez, 33 in April, is coming off a pair of below-average offensive seasons with the Tigers after posting a 103 wRC+ with them in 2023. He has hit a combined .240/.297/.355 over the past two seasons with an 85 wRC+ (437 plate appearances). He has played all over the diamond in his five-year MLB career, spending most of his time at second and third base. Here are his defensive numbers at both positions in his career:

Not a platinum glove, but certainly more than capable at both positions. He’s been pretty solid defensively in 265 1/3 innings at first base (6 DRS, 2 OAA), but it won’t take any at-bats away from him. Freddie Vrijman on the regular. He also has 160 outfield innings on defense (LF/RF). As much as he’s played third base, his arm strength doesn’t really fit the profile. He is consistently in the bottom 10 percentile of arm strength. Last season he averaged 75 MPH on throws from third base. For comparison: Max Muncy averages 84.2 MPH from third base, and we know his arm will never get tangled Adrian Beltre‘S. It’s a 20-degree arm and should probably stay on the right side of second base. However, he can end up in third place, so that he can gain some time there in an emergency.

Frankly, his defensive profile is a much lesser version of Enrique Hernández‘s, someone the Dodgers still want to bring back. It remains to be seen if that will remain the case after this signing, but Hernandez means more to the organization than what appears on the back of his baseball card. If the Dodgers want him back, they’ll figure out a way to make that happen. Additionally, the fact that Hernandez will miss some time this season after undergoing offseason surgery on his elbow could make it easier for him to return.

But back to Ibanez. What about his offensive profile intrigues the Dodgers? It’s hard to really know. The three things he does really well are: make contact, don’t strike out, and square the ball. While squaring it hasn’t translated into hard-hit balls or higher expected stats, they may see something that, with an adjustment, could unlock a little more offensive potential from the utility player. He is a high-contact hitter (83.4% last season, 79% in his career) and connected on 92.5% of the pitches he swung at in the strike zone. Among batters with at least 190 plate appearances, that would have scored 22nd in the MLB. I admit that 190 isn’t a large sample size, but his career Z-Contact% is 83.3 (2024), while his career rate is 88.2%.

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What this signing really does is create some doubt for some of the players on the roster – both in terms of health and skills.

Hernandez was already mentioned (and he’s not even on the roster yet!), but Tommy Edman also had offseason surgery and was chased by a stray for most of last season. Miguel Rojas also had some nagging injuries towards the end of the season. So if nothing else, Ibanez provides insurance against anyone not being ready at the start of the season. He also offers some insurance against it Hyeseong Kim and/or Alex Vrijland do not expand if more playtime is given. Since Ibanez has a career batting line of .258/.311/.403, 115 wRC+ against left-handed pitching, my money would be on Edman not starting the season on the active roster due to injury.

The same thinking applies to the Dodgers claiming Fitzgerald. What’s interesting about that statement is that the Dodgers recently added the former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli to the front office, so he’s familiar with Fitzgerald’s game and might not just be roster fodder at this point.

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It’s not the sexiest signing and it won’t necessarily stop the Dodgers from adding another infielder, but the roster is starting to get a little crowded. I expect there will be a few trades between now and the start of Spring Training to alleviate some of the crisis.

For now, the Dodgers have a monopoly on Cuban players named “Andy.”