1:22PM: The Braves signed Leonard to a minor league contract, KPRC2’s Ari Alexander reports.
7:53AM: The Tigers released Eddys Leonard from the Triple-A Toledo roster, according to the infielder/outfielder’s MLB.com profile page. Leonard has spent the parts of the last two seasons in Detroit’s organization and re-signed a new minor league deal last December after being non-tendered and removed from the club’s 40-man roster.
A veteran of six minor league seasons in the Dodgers’ and Tigers’ farm systems, Leonard has yet to crack the big leagues during his pro career. His chances at a call-up in 2024 might’ve been marred by injuries, as an oblique strain and a hamstring strain limited Leonard to only 82 total games (67 in Toledo, and 15 on the Tigers’ A-level teams as part of rehab assignments).
When Leonard did play, he hit .263/.326/.455 with 10 homers over 282 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. This performance came on the heels of a .302/.374/.530 slash line in 171 PA with Toledo in 2023, so Leonard may have increasingly little to prove in the upper minors. However, he hit poorly in Spring Training this year, perhaps costing himself a prime opportunity to break camp with a Tigers team was looking to fill some roster holes due to injury.
The 24-year-old Leonard will now return to the open market, looking to land with a team in need of some versatile depth. Shortstop is Leonard’s primary position, but he has also seen a lot of time at second and third base and in center field, plus a handful of games in the other two outfield positions. In 2024, Leonard stuck almost exclusively to infield work, which may have been related to his injury concerns rather than a distinct shift towards becoming an infield-only player.