A.J.

Reed

It didn’t get much attention, but WTHI-TV in Terre Haute, Indiana was first with the story in early March. Reed was once a highly-touted slugger in the Astros organization, highlighted by a monster season between High-A and Double-A in 2015, but he was unable to get that success to translate to the majors. The 26-year-old batted just .149/.241/.234 with four homers over 199 plate appearances, including a brief stint with the White Sox after he was claimed off waivers from the Astros last year. Per the WTHI-TV report, he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.

He’s now off the 40-man roster. Reed was claimed off waivers by the White Sox last month but hit just .136 with 21 strikeouts in 44 at-bats.

A tough day just got worse for Reed, who is headed to Charlotte on the heels of a four-strikeout performance Thursday against the Mets. Reed simply hasn’t cut it in the big leagues this year, hitting an anemic .136 with 21 strikeouts in 44 at-bats. The 26-year-old should return to the South Side when rosters expand next month, though it’s doubtful he’ll make much of an impact in fantasy.

In Reed’s defense, no one else on the White Sox did anything in the 4-0 loss. Still, the rest of the team combined to strike out four times in 26 at-bats while Reed whiffed every time up. Reed is just 6-for-44 with one homer and 21 strikeouts for his new team. It’s worth giving him a little while longer, but he won’t last through the end of the season at this rate.

Reed was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal evening for the White Sox, accounting for two of their five hits combined in the lopsided defeat. The 26-year-old slugger showed plenty of promise during his minor-league career in the Astros’ organization, so it’s a worthwhile gamble for the White Sox to give him everyday at-bats just to see what he can do. Perhaps a change of scenery will jump-start his big-league career.

Reed was claimed off waivers from the Astros over the All-Star break and will join the White Sox for the start of the second half. The 26-year-old former top prospect owns a weak .153/.253/.244 career batting line in the major leagues, but a change of scenery will maybe help the cause. He figures to platoon between DH and first base in Chicago. It’s very much a wait-and-see situation in fantasy.

Reed was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte after being claimed off waivers from the Astros, but it’s a temporary assignment for the first baseman. Once considered one of the top prospects at the position, Reed has struggled with the bat as of late, and was hitting just .224/.329/.469 for Triple-A Round Rock this season. He’s just 26 years old so there’s certainly a chance he can bounce back, but considering the position and struggles, he can be avoided in most fantasy formats.

Reed got designated for assignment by Houston last week. The former top prospect was batting .224/.329/.469 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI in 56 games this season for Triple-A Round Rock. He could join the White Sox as a bench bat at some point in the second half and might move into a more prominent role if Jose Abreu is traded, but the 26-year-old can go on being ignored in fantasy leagues.

The move clears a 40-man roster spot for pitcher Jose Urquidy, who will make his major league debut Tuesday night at Coors Field. Reed, a former top-20 prospect, had batted .224/.329/.469 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI through 56 games this season at Triple-A Round Rock. The 26-year-old should draw interest from other teams on the waiver wire.

Reed posted just a .583 OPS this spring. The former top prospect is still just 25 and retains upside, but he’d probably be best off with a fresh start in another organization.