Alex Presley Claimed

Today the Houston Astros have picked up OF Alex Presley off waivers from the Twins. Departing from the 40-man roster was Raul Valdes to correspond with the acquisition. With Opening Day nearly on the horizon the Astros gain another major league ready outfielder.

From the time that the Astros were in the National League, I vaguely remember the call-up of Alex to Pittsburgh. Hopefully being with the Astros will help him shore up some of his potential. With the outfield construction being a little hazy throughout the offseason this is a move that I like.

Presley has appeared in parts of four MLB seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. Last season he was traded as a piece of the Justin Morneau deal. With over 200 games under his belt, Alex has a .264/.304/.411 triple-slash. He has registered 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Some people may not understand this move due to his spring training performance. With 37 at-bats he struggled to hit above the Mendoza line. I just want to stress the importance that ST is a small sample size as well as not being a true measure of how well he hit the ball.

The Astros Opening Day outfielder looks to include Robbie Grossman in left, Dexter Fowler in center and L.J. Hoes in right field. Presley is likely the club’s fourth outfielder.