Astros claim left-hander Buddy Boshers from the Twins

Astros fans wanted another lefty. They got one off waivers with Buddy Boshers.

Sometimes when you ask for something, you get it. With how Tony Sipp and Francisco Liriano performed last year, Astros fans wanted a lefty for the bullpen. After the Gerrit Cole trade, there were two open spots on the 40-man roster. Many people speculated that the Astros would add another reliever.

Fans may have dreamed of Tony Watson as one of those additions, but they got another pitcher instead. According to Jake Kaplan, the Astros claimed lefty Buddy Boshers off waivers from Minnesota. If you were like me, you wondered who that was? Keep in mind, players with success don’t get placed on waivers.

Boshers made his MLB debut with the Angels in 2013, appearing in 25 games. He did not reach the big leagues again until joining the Twins in 2016. Boshers has spent the past two seasons with Twins. Last season, he appeared in 38 games with a 4.89 ERA while striking out 28 hitters in 35 innings.

In Luhnow we trust.

Jeff Luhnow has had success finding gems off waivers with Sipp, Will Harris, and Collin McHugh to name a few. Sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery to perform better. However, the splits scream situational lefty. Right-handed hitters batted .300 against him while lefties hit .224.

He is known as a curveball specialist according to TwinCities.com but was in independent baseball before he signed with the Twins. According to Fangraphs, Boshers throws a low 90s fastball, with a 78.6 mph curveball, with an 84.7 mph changeup.

While being added to the roster doesn’t mean he will be the answer to the bullpen puzzle. Boshers is now another option in addition to Anthony Gose and Reymin Guduan to challenge Sipp this spring. There is also no guarantee that Boshers will stick on the 40-Man roster if a spot is needed later.

Next: Astros: Jonathan Lucroy is not likely an option for backup catcher

While it may not be a big splashy move, it gives A.J. Hinch another option this spring. The Astros have already made the big splash with Cole. Now they are looking for possible fixes.

***Stats from Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference***