During this time of the MLB season, teams across the league are making various changes to their 26 and 40-man rosters. They are promoting certain guys from the minor leagues to replace injured or poor-performing players.
And to make room for that talent, teams DFA those players in hopes that they can trade them or get them through waivers to keep them in the organization.
Former Detroit Tigers outfielder Ryan Vilade is in that position right now. He was in the majors for a brief period with the St. Louis Cardinals, but looks to be heading back to the minors.
Ex-Tigers Outfielder Ryan Vilade DFA'd by St. Louis Cardinals
On Thursday, the Cardinals announced that they designated Vilade for assignment, which was part of multiple roster moves.
OF Michael Siani has been recalled from Memphis.
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 12, 2025
RHP Chris Roycroft has been optioned to Memphis.
OF Ryan Vilade has been designated for assignment. pic.twitter.com/BO91a22m7v
St. Louis called up the ex-Tigers outfielder from Triple-A Memphis at the end of May. Vilade struggled in his short stint with the big league club, hitting .077 (1-for-13) with two walks and five strikeouts.
With Vilade being DFA’d, the Cards will have about a week to trade him. But if the former Tiger goes through waivers unclaimed, he could wind up back at Triple-A Memphis.
This season at Triple-A, Vilade is hitting .280 with five home runs and 31 RBI. He also has an OPS of .851 along with five stolen bases. The 26-year-old outfielder joined the Cardinals on a minor league contract in November after ending the 2024 season with the Tigers.
In his lone season with the Tigers, Vilade hit a pedestrian .178 with a home run and five RBI across 17 games. The right-handed hitter spent most of the 2024 campaign at Triple-A Toledo, where he had a sizable amount of success.
Vilade slashed .278/.346/.449 with 13 home runs and 64 RBI in 108 games. The veteran minor leaguer also had an OPS of .795 and 20 stolen bases.
It’s clear Vilade can hit and play well in the minor leagues, but it hasn’t translated to the majors yet. We’ll see what happens with the former Tigers outfielder as he tries to find his footing on the diamond.