Giants utility player Eddys Leonard has cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Sacramento, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser. Leonard was designated for assignment earlier this week. He only just made his major league debut and has not been outrighted in the past, so Leonard must accept the assignment and remain with Sacramento.
Leonard was signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 and spent several years in their system as a low-level prospect. L.A. selected him at the end of 2021 to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, though he never got into a big league game before being designated for assignment and shipped to the Tigers for cash at the 2023 trade deadline. Over the next several years, Leonard continued biding his time at Triple-A for a few organizations, exhausting his option years in the process. He was finally selected by the Giants early last week.
Leonard got into three games from August 4-8 and recorded a single and a double in eight at-bats while striking out twice. His recent track record at Triple-A is impressive for someone who’s no longer a prospect. Leonard put up a 107 wRC+ in 282 plate appearances for the Tigers’ top affiliate in 2024. Although he had a below-average 94 wRC+ in the Braves’ system last year, that came with a 7.0% drop in his strikeout rate (down to 19.2%), along with 20 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
He’s continued to keep the strikeouts in check in 2026 while also upping his walk rate to 10.3%, which grades out above average. In 321 plate appearances between the Brewers and Giants’ systems, Leonard is batting .272/.361/.509 with 16 home runs. His 125 wRC+ puts him in the top 20% of hitters at Triple-A.
Given that production and the fact that he’s only 25, Leonard figures to get more opportunities with the Giants this year. The team traded Heliot Ramos to the Yankees at the deadline. Casey Schmitt, who played some left field in June, is likely done for the year due to meniscus surgery. The Giants currently have Victor Bericoto, Drew Gilbert, and Jung Hoo Lee slotted in from left to right. Bericoto’s activation from the injured list on Tuesday cost Leonard his roster spot, so he won’t compete with him unless Bericoto slumps down the road.
Fellow utility player Buddy Kennedy has gone hitless since rejoining the Giants as a waiver claim early last week. There may be a path for Leonard to take Kennedy’s roster spot if the former continues hitting at Triple-A and Kennedy continues struggling. Leonard has ample minor league experience in both the infield and outfield, so there’s value in his defensive versatility as well as his bat.
Photo courtesy of Scott Marshall, Imagn Images
