new opportunity

Alex Presley didn’t get much opportunity in the big leagues with Houston in 2015, but that might change now that he is in Milwaukee’s system. The lefty-hitting outfielder out of Ole Miss has signed a minor league deal with the Brewers and will go to spring training with the big club, ostensibly to compete for the everyday job in center field. That’s a need in Milwaukee, which traded away Carlos Gomez last summer. Presley, 30, has spent parts of six seasons in the majors but got only 12 at-bats with the Astros last season. He played well in Triple-A, batting .292 for a Fresno team that won both the Pacific Coast League and Triple-A championships. Presley is a .259 career hitter in MLB with 23 homers and 25 steals in 329 games; he has played all three outfield spots. In 104 games with Pittsburgh (his original club) in 2012, Presley hit .237 with 10 homers and nine bags. Milwaukee’s depth chart currently lists 23-year-old Domingo Santana as the starting center fielder, but the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder profiles more as a corner man. While the Brewers are likely to bring in some more center field candidates, Presley should at least have a fighting chance to make the 25-man roster.