Position: UT
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats/Throws: B/R
Born: 09/11/1995
Country: Dominican Republic
Signed: International Free Agent, 2012 (Tigers)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Bonus: $400,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2023
Options Left: 0
Overview
Leyba signed with Detroit for a moderately large bonus. As a minor leaguer, he’s shown a good bat with some power, and has usually had good BB:K ratios. He’s played a lot at second and short, and some at third. Scouts have always regarded his range and arm as a little lacking for short but liked his defense at second. Leyba’s hitting tailed off as he moved up through the minors, and he also wasn’t helped by missing nearly all of one season due to injury and all of the pandemic season due to a drug suspension. Once he got to AAA, he mostly started hitting very well again, but he hasn’t done well in very short stints in the majors. The Pirates signed him to a minor league deal for 2023.
2013-16
Leyba reached AA fairly quickly. He hit very well in the DSL and, in 2014, in a season split between the New York-Penn League and low A. After the 2014 season, the Tigers sent him to Arizona in a three-way trade. Leyba struggled badly in high A in 2015, but bounced back in 2016, half in high A and half in AA. Throughout this time, Baseball America ranked him in the top ten or twenty of his teams’ top 30 prospects, until 2016, when they ranked him third with the Diamondbacks. Arizona added him to the 40-man roster after that season.
2017-19
In 2017, Leyba started running into problems. He suffered a shoulder injury in spring training that year and eventually needed surgery, leaving him able to get only limited playing time. In 2015 he returned to AA, but put up only decent numbers. He got back on track in 2018, batting 300/351/519 in AAA and getting some brief time in the majors.
2020-22
In March 2020, Leyba was suspended for 80 games for violation of the drug prevention and treatment program. Missing the entire season during the pandemic year satisfied the suspension. Arizona outrighted him to AAA after the season.
Leyba opened the 2021 season in AAA and hit very well there in just a few games. He got called up in May, but went 0-for-22 and Arizona put him on waivers, where he was claimed by the Orioles. With Baltimore, Leyba split his time evenly between AAA and the majors, but didn’t hit during his brief time with the Orioles. They outrighted him in August and released him two weeks later. The Rangers picked him up on a minor league deal and he finished the season in AAA with them. On the season, Leyba hit very well in AAA, not well at all in the majors. He became a free agent after the season and signed a minor league deal with San Diego. After Leyba struggled in AAA in early 2022, the Padres sent him to AA and he hit just OK there. He spent the rest of the season in AA, playing second, short and third.
2023
The Pirates signed Leyba to a minor league deal for 2023 and sent him to Altoona, which was a low level given his experience. He played only 30 games there due to an injury and a late-July promotion. He didn’t have much trouble with AA pitching, posting a .903 OPS and striking out in about a tenth of his plate appearances. He hit fairly well in 42 AAA games, with a .753 OPS and solid plate discipline. Leyba primarily played third, with some time at second. He’ll be a free agent again in the fall.
Stats
Transactions
July 2, 2012: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an international free agent.
December 5, 2014: Traded by the Detroit Tigers with Robbie Ray to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team deal in which the Diamondbacks sent Didi Gregorius to the New York Yankees and the Yankees sent Shane Greene to the Tigers.
November 18, 2016: Contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
March 6, 2020: Suspended for 80 games for violation of the major league drug program.
September 28, 2020: Reinstated from suspension.
November 20, 2020: Outrighted to AAA by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
May 15, 2021: Called up by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
June 4, 2021: Claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
August 8, 2021: Outrighted to AAA by the Baltimore Orioles.
August 19, 2021: Released by the Baltimore Orioles.
September 3, 2021: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Texas Rangers.
November 11, 2021: Became a free agent.
December 22, 2021: Signed as a minor league free agent by the San Diego Padres.
November 11, 2022: Became a free agent.
March 3, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.