Blue Jays: Anthony Alford claimed off waivers by Pirates

Designated for assignment a few days ago, the Blue Jay officially lost Anthony Alford on Thursday, as he was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh.

Any hope that the Blue Jays may have had to sneak Anthony Alford through waivers is over, as he was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon.

It’s a bittersweet piece of news for fans of the team and the ballplayer, as Alford was a well-liked prospect in Toronto for many years, he just wasn’t able to put together a prolonged stretch of success at the highest level, and consistent health was also a struggle. Facing a roster pinch, the Blue Jays DFA’d him last week, and now he’s off to try and find a more successful chapter in Pittsburgh.

As I said above, Alford struggled to find consistency in health and performance over the years, and even though it felt like his opportunities were limited, his time in the organization was not. He was drafted way back in 2012, and spent parts of nine seasons playing at various levels, including four seasons worth of cameos in the big leagues from 2017-2020. Oddly enough that equated to just 71 at-bats in the big leagues with the Blue Jays, were he struggled to a .155/.200/.254 slash line.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the Pirates were interested, as a former Blue Jays front office executive is now the general manager in Pittsburgh. Ben Cherington is familiar with the potential that Alford has flashed over the years, and his new team might be the ideal place for him to seek an opportunity. I don’t know that he’s going to get every-day playing time in his new uniform either, but there should be more opportunity than he was going to see with the Blue Jays this year, or in the future.

On a selfish note, I’m pleased to see Alford land with a team from the National League, and particularly one that’s rebuilding. After watching Gio Urshela turn into an All-Star calibre performer with the Yankees, it would have been tough to see a repeat of that type of situation.

This way, I can cheer for the former two-sport star without reservation, because I genuinely hope he can succeed in Pittsburgh. It has often felt like he was on the verge of putting things together, and even if it’ll make me cringe a little if he can pull it off after leaving the Blue Jays organization, I’ll still be happy for him. Here’s hoping he can do just that with a fresh start with the Pirates.