The Arizona Diamondbacks won't be getting back one of their recently-departed outfielders, after all.
Earlier this week, Arizona faced a roster crunch. Rookie outfielder Tommy Troy was fully recovered from an AC joint sprain in his shoulder and was ready to be reinstated from the 10-day IL . That of course, necessitated the D-backs clearing a space on their expanded 28-man active roster.
In order to make that room available, they had to make a tough decision. Arizona ultimately opted to designate outfielder Jorge Barrosa for assignment, potentially ending his lengthy tenure in the Diamondbacks' organization.
Considering the fact that Barrosa's bat had not been an explosive factor in Arizona's offense, there was some chance he would manage to clear waivers. But that will not be the case this time around. Instead, the Houston Astros have claimed Barrosa off waivers, the Diamondbacks announced.
May 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jorge Barrosa (1) looks on from the bench in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Perhaps somewhat ironically, the Astros are the team the Diamondbacks just finished playing, wrapping up a three-game set with their first series win at Houston since 2012.
Barrosa hit to a slash line that did not offer a great deal of offensive impact, posting a meager batting line of .201/.285/.343 , which was good for just a .628 OPS with 11 doubles, a triple and two home runs.
Still, Barrosa's speed, hustle and defensive capabilities did provide him a level of value to the Diamondabcks, and it was also clearly enough to stand out to the Astros on waivers.
Barrosa's defensive metrics were quite positive this season. He was able to post +4 Defensive Runs Saved, +3 Fielding Run Value and +5 Outs Above Average. Most of his work came in center field, though he was versatile enough to play corner spots at a high level when called upon, as well.
Letting Barrosa go was not an easy decision for Arizona , but manager Torey Lovullo noted that the versatility provided by Troy was a factor in that outcome. Troy is capable of playing the infield and outfield to a solid degree, with a bit more upside present in his bat, as well.
"Jorge was a tough conversation yesterday," Lovullo said. "He was an emotional guy, and it showed as to why he loved playing baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is his family. This is a group that he came up with. He knows no other organization."
Indeed, Barrosa had been a member of Arizona's organization for his entire pro baseball journey. The 25-year-old was signed out of Venezuela in 2017 and spent parts of the next eight seasons with the Diamondbacks at the minor- or major-league level.
"We assured him that he's going to wind up playing in the big leagues for a long time," Lovullo said.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as Former Diamondbacks Outfielder Claimed by Astros .
