Former Houston Astros "Superstar" Signs in Australia

After spending 13 years in the big leagues, including a recent four-year run in Houston that started with a World Series in 2017, outfielder Josh Reddick is taking his talents to Australia to continue his baseball career. And down under, this appears to be a very big deal. 

Calling it a "major coup", the Perth Heat announced the signing with a splashy news release, in which they called Reddick "a superstar." Hmm. For anyone who's even a little familiar with the MLB, you could say that that's a bit of hyperbole. 

“Josh Reddick is a superstar, ” said Perth Heat Chief Executive Steven Nelkovski. “This is a massive coup, not only for Perth Heat but the entire ABL.”

Reddick had a nice career in the big leagues, averaging .262 at the plate, with a .747 OPS, along with 146 HR and 575 RBIs. Not exactly Cooperstown numbers, but a nice career nevertheless. 

As for Reddick, he's happy to bring his winning know-how to Perth. “I’ve been very fortunate to be in the playoffs for the better part of my career… I think eight or nine years of my career [have been in the playoffs] so I know what it takes to win and how to handle it,” Reddick said.

The 34-year-old is currently playing in the Mexican League, and he'll continue his world tour by heading down under when the Australian baseball season kicks off later in the year (their summer is the opposite of that in North America). 

Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports