Dodgers’ Santiago Espinal Declares Free Agency After DFA

Los Angeles Dodgers utility infielder Santiago Espinal elected free agency after clearing waivers on Thursday.

The Dodgers designated Espinal for assignment earlier in the week after Tommy Edman’s return from the injured list, placing him on waivers for the second time in less than a month. No team claimed Espinal, so he decided to try his hand on the open market rather than sticking in Triple-A.

Edman will fill a similar role Espinal did for the Dodgers, serving as a Swiss Army knife in the infield as well as putting a shift or two in the outfield.

Espinal broke camp with the Dodgers this season after a strong spring training, but his hot streak didn’t translate into the regular season. He had just a .220 batting average with a .604 OPS after the Dodgers designated him for assignment the first time to bring back Kiké Hernandez.

Hernandez quickly found himself back on the injured list, though, so the Dodgers re-signed him to play a minor role in the infield.

Espinal was much better after returning, as he posted a .462 batting average and .924 OPS through his eight games in June. On the year, he had a .651 OPS—just shy of his career .664 mark—with one homer and seven RBIs.

What Has Santiago Espinal Done in His Career?

Espinal began his career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020, and made an All-Star team with the same squad two years later. He played for four seasons with the Blue Jays, posting 5.4 bWAR and a 96 OPS+ throughout.

He spent the next two years of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, though neither of his years in the National League Central were very productive. He posted -1.8 bWAR across those two seasons, playing 232 games across those years.

The Dodgers could very well re-sign Espinal to a minor league deal, seeing as how they already have done so, but the odds he comes back are extremely low given how stacked the Dodgers are in the middle of the infield. Alex Freeland and Miguel Rojas are splitting time at second for the time being, and Hyeseong Kim is also in the mix despite currently playing in Triple-A.

On the other side of the diamond, Mookie Betts has shortstop locked down for the Dodgers, and Rojas can also cover there. Espinal will look to keep his career alive as he seeks another team to help out in 2026.

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