When the Blue Jays designated Anthony Alford for assignment last week, it was pretty obvious that somebody was going to claim him.

While Alford hasn’t been able to find his groove at the Major League level, he still boasts an incredible set of talent and athleticism, and he’s certainly worth a shot to a team in a rebuilding phase. Like, say, the Pittsburgh Pirates!

And that’s exactly where Alford is headed.

Another thing to consider here is that Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, who worked in the Blue Jays’ front office over the past few years, knows Alford well.

He’ll surely get the chance to show what he can do with the Pirates that he never got with the Blue Jays. It’s a shame things didn’t work out for him here, but I’d love to see the guy do well. This should be a great opportunity for him.