The Astros have claimed OF Justin Maxwell off waivers from the Yankees. He'll report on Monday, which will necessitate a corresponding roster move.
McTaggart:
Maxwell will give the Astros a right-handed option off the bench in the outfield, something they've been without since trading Jason Bourgeois. The Astros currently have four outfielders on their roster, though infielders Brian Bixler and Matt Downs can play the outfield.
Maxwell (28yo, 6'5" 235lb RHB) was a 4th Round pick of the Nationals in 2005, and was traded in February 2011 to the Yankees. In 260 PAs at the Major-League level, Maxwell has hit .201/.319/.379, with 43K:25BB, and 9HR.
For the 2011 season Maxwell was at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he hit .260/.358/.588, with 25 extra-base hits in 204 plate appearances for a career-high .945 OPS for the season.
It'll be interesting to see who the Astros send to Oklahoma City, what with Maxwell joining the team tomorrow, and Lowrie set to return on Friday. There will likely be one reliever heading down (Fernando Abad, perhaps?), but I wonder if one of the lefty bench bats will head north to see what wonders the Pacific Coast League has to offer.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
