Houston Astros: Ashur Tolliver Claimed Off Waivers

The Astros claim lefty reliever Ashur Tolliver off waivers from the Angels.

Ashur Tolliver addresses a need for the team as the only left-hander coming out of the pen before today was Tony Sipp. The problem with these two relievers is that they both underperform to the standards that the Astros have in place. If they have bounce-back years (or if Tolliver even makes the team), they could be very valuable to the Astros down the stretch.

It took Ashur Tolliver a long time to find his way to the Major Leagues. Drafted in 2009 by the Orioles in the fifth round, Tolliver struggled to advance through the leagues even when his numbers were not particularly poor. He had a career Minor League ERA of 3.04 and struck out 278 hitters in 284.1 innings.

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When he finally made it to the Orioles last season, he struggled in the only 4.2 innings in which he pitched.

He allowed four runs, three earned, but did earn a win. Baltimore did not give him much of a chance after that, designating him for assignment on August 31 before their push for the playoffs. The Angels claimed him in late September, but did not pitch even one inning for them and spent the rest of the year in the minors.

Tolliver has not been given much of a chance to prove himself yet, but his prolonged development in the Minor Leagues means that his window is closing. The Astros claimed him off waivers from the Angels, though there is no guarantee that he will even make the team come April.

Next: Why the Astros chose Carlos Beltran.

If he shakes off his rookie struggles and becomes a reliable lefty out of the bullpen as he was in the minors, he could be a valuable asset to Houston. But for now, he is just another guy who is likely to be designated for assignment should a better option come around for the Astros.

*Stats via Milb.com*