Though last season ended in a championship for the Los Angeles Dodgers, not everyone who came through the organization had a perfect experience.
In early July, the Dodgers claimed corner infielder CJ Alexander off waivers from the New York Yankees. He’d already been waived previously by the Athletics, the only team for whom he played a game in the majors last year. But within a week, the Dodgers designated Alexander for assignment, his third time suffering that fate in just over a month.
Because Alexander cleared waivers, he spent the rest of the season in the minors for the Dodgers, waiting for an opportunity in the big leagues that never came. After electing free agency in November, it seemed unlikely that the 29-year-old would return to Los Angeles organization for another season.
Earlier this week, Alexander made his departure official. According to the transactions log on his official roster page, he signed a minor-league contract with the Houston Astros on Tuesday and was assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land.
Alexander has played only 10 major league games; four for the Kansas City Royals, six for the Athletics. He’s 4-for-25 without an extra-base hit, meaning his OPS+ so far is negative-10. But in the minors, he’s been a fairly consistent power bat, with at least 15 home runs in each of the last four seasons.
Alexander also has a younger brother, Blaze Alexander, who is establishing a decent-sized role for himself as a utility player in the majors and was recently traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Baltimore Orioles.
In Houston, Alexander likely has no shot at the opening day roster, as his natural position is first base, and the Astros have a logjam there with Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker. But if he crushes the ball, and if one of those other two gets traded or injured, perhaps Alexander could find his way onto the major league roster this year.
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