The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed outfielder Ka’ai Tom on Wednesday afternoon from the Oakland A’s. To make room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Anthony Alford has been designated for assignment.
The 26-year-old Tom was a Rule 5 pick this off-season. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2015, and he spent half of the 2019 season in Triple-A, where he batted .285/.386/.512 in 51 games. He did not play during the 2020 season. He has a career .270/.360/.444 slash line in the minors. He has played nine games this season for the A’s, going 1-for-16 at the plate with a single and no walks.
Alford is 2-for-24 for the Pirates this season in 11 games, with four walks and 16 strikeouts, leading to a .325 OPS.
The Pirates still need to add a 27th man for today’s doubleheader. They have recalled young infielder Rodolfo Castro, but he is just filling the vacant spot left by Alford, since Tom isn’t with the team yet. Castro will likely just be around for today’s games, or possibly a day or two longer until Tom joins the club. If he gets into a game, it will be his big league debut. We will have more in the Live Game Discussion.
