Reds sign OF Josh Anderson
The Reds have signed outfielder Josh Anderson to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
Anderson, a Somerset, Ky., native, was thrilled about coming to Cincinnati.
“I’m looking forward to getting started with them,” Anderson said. “I’m extremely happy about it. I grew up a Reds fan. I was about three hours from their stadium. I look forward to helping out any way I can.”
Anderson, 27, batted .240/.276/.304 with one homer and 24 RBIs for the Tigers and Royals in 118 games last season. He is a left-handed hitter and stole 25 bases in 30 attempts. He started 2009 in camp with the Braves and was traded to Detroit near the end of spring. He was dealt to Kansas City on July 30.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Anderson said. “I’ve been fortunate to have a little time up there [in the Majors]. I’m trying to get an opportunity to stay and get a chance to play.”
In 179 games over three seasons with the Astros, Braves, Tigers and Royals, Anderson is a .272 hitter with a .313 OBP. He’s walked 26 times compared to 82 strikeouts. Experienced at all three spots, he will be part of an increasing crowd of outfielders vying for a spot — along with non-roster invite Laynce Nix, Chris Dickerson, Willy Taveras and others.
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Mark Sheldon
Ugh. Another guy with zero power who never walks. Just what we need.
Maybe Anderson was signed to make Taveras look good. His stats are shockingly similar to WT’s. In almost 300 AB only 1 HR and 25 RBI. Same OBP in 2009.
His CAREER OBP is .313, so it’s not like we can hope that he might rebound from a down year last year to regain his form.
Just another terrible signing by the Reds. Admittedly it didn’t cost much. But these are the type of guys that ruin a roster. He’ll have a few hits in spring training, make a couple of nice plays in the OF, steal a few bases, and Baker will decide he has to have him on the roster.
Then someone gets hurt and all of a sudden we give Josh Anderson a couple hundred pathetic AB instead of developing our younger players.
i agree with this pick-up some minor-league f/a’s i would like to see the reds go after are p’s r.hill,n.lowery,brad knox ,m.peterson inf’s j.barfield,o.quintinilla c-e.alfonso 2 here is a deal how about ss-p.janish,of’s w.balentin,w.tavares p’s c.fisher,s.lecure or d.thompson to ariz. for ss-s.drew c-c.snyder p-k.mulvey