Astros should kick the tires on Yankees castoff with game changing defense

Outfielder Michael Siani was just designated for assignment by the Yankees and is available on waivers for the fourth time this winter. The Houston Astros could ruin the Yankees' chances of outrighting Siani to their Triple-A affiliate and bolster their outfield defense at the same time.

After being DFA'd by the St. Louis Cardinals at the outset of the MLB offseason, Siani landed with the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta then let him go and the Los Angeles Dodgers picked him up. Siani was later DFA'd by LA to make room on their 40-man roster, which then allowed the Yankees to pluck him off waivers just a few days ago. Ironically, former Astros reliever Kaleb Ort was DFA'd by New York to make for Siani.

Now some fans may be curious why teams make these types of moves. Quite frankly, it's a safe bet that all four organizations who've DFA'd Siani this offseason were hoping to pass him through waivers and outright him to the minor leagues. Doing so allows a franchise to retain the player's rights without carrying him on the 40-man roster. It's time for the Astros to try their hand at it.

Astro should take a flier on outfielder Michael Siani after Yankees DFA

Siani is a terrific defender. In just 160 career games at the big league level, Siani is worth 7 defensive runs saved (DRS) and 17 outs above average (OAA). Unfortunately, the 26-year-old couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Siani has just two home runs to his name and a career .547 OPS.

But adding an elite glove like Siani's to the roster ahead of spring training could be a wise investment on the part of the Astros front office. If the worst thing that happens is the Astros DFA him a week into camp, they've lost nothing — and might be able to pass him through waivers and keep him down in the minor leagues.

While Siani's bat is not much of threat, snatching him off waivers is a low-risk move. While most Astros fans are focused on the team adding some pop to the middle of the lineup, Joe Espada and the coaching staff would love to have a reliable glove like Siani's in camp.