The Astros announced that they claimed utility player Brian Bixler off of waivers from the Nationals. Houston's 40-man roster now includes 38 players.
Bixler, 29, appeared in 79 games for the Nationals, playing all three outfield positions, shortstop, third base and first base. He posted a .205/.267/.265 line in 94 plate appearances. The Pirates selected Bixler in the second round of the 2004 draft and sold him to the Nationals in 2010.
My only question is… why?
They are required to put someone on the field, might as well be him.
as a nationals fan, i’ll tell you, he is great on defense and runs the bases well
Unfortunately, the only time he apparently sees a base is during pre-game warmups.
LMAO
Runs the bases well? IF that’s a major component of your value then you probably arent’ very good.
Probably a good thing since they can’t afford Clint Barmes.
Well, he provides depth at a few positions, if not much hitting wise. I suppose sometimes being a niche player can turn into a career.
I sure hope you like tachometers
Well that certainly clinches a playoff appearance for the Astros next year
This guy hardcore sucks.
I am reminded of a quote which shaped my young life.
“If you have to be a monkey, be a gorilla”
– Red Man
as a bucco fan we have seen the worst mlb players in the league year in year out since 1993 and he is in the top 5 worst players since then
The second-most famous guy (behind Tom Callahan) to hail from Sandusky, Ohio.
Who’s Tom Callahan?
Sandusky is a made up place.
You’re kidding right?
He owns a car part manufacturing plant.
Rob Lowe is his son-in-law.
Not legally, however.
Oh how the rich get richer…
I’m going to legitimately miss him. He was not a good baseball player, but he did EVERYTHING 100 percent.
Good guy, solid defense, pretty good speed, can play many different positions, but can’t hit to save his life
Best of luck in Houston, Brian
yea, just a pretty good guy 2 have in as a late inning defensive replacement/pinch runner. can’t hit worth a lick and when he does it’s almost always singles, but like nick said he always gives his all and is willing to do anything you need him to (or at least try to do it)
Gonna lead ’em to the promise land.
I think there could be a possibility that if he got solid playing time he might actually develop into a solid player. But I guess that’s up to the Astros now. He is solid defense and base running, so hopefully the hitting can develop. Best of luck to him.
Basically it’s a depth move. Astros will likely not re-sign Barmes, and their best shortstop prospect Jonathan Villar is in AA, and probably won’t be ready until 2013. So, if Bixler can play defense he may have a shot at some playing time along with Angel Sanchez. Looking at Bixler’s AAA numbers, appears he hit .275-.280 and had decent power, although he’s only hit about .200 at the major league level. Same profile as Matt Downs, who turned out to be a pretty good waiver pickup.