Seemingly always on the phone making moves, general manager Ben Cherington has added yet another player to the Pittsburgh Pirates' system.
Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported on Thursday that the Pirates claimed outfielder Anthony Alford off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Alford, 26, was selected by the Blue Jays in the third round (112th overall) of the 2012 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut on May 19, 2017. In 71 big league at-bats, Alford has disappointed, batting just .155 with two home runs and five runs batted in.
In a loaded farm system, Alford entered the 2018 season as the team's fifth-best prospect (according to MLB.com). He fell just behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Danny Jansen and Nate Pearson, all of whom have consistently performed at the MLB level, and even ranked four spots ahead of current Blue Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio.
In 16 at-bats for the Blue Jays this season, Alford batted .188 with one home run and three runs batted in, in addition to stealing three bases. He was designated for assignment on August 20.
Alford is the third player to be brought in by the Pirates this week, as the team claimed pitcher Carson Fulmer from the Detroit Tigers on Monday and acquired pitcher Austin Davis from the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
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