Anderson looks to stay put after waiver claim

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The past year has been quite the whirlwind for first baseman Lars Anderson.

When the former top prospect joined the Blue Jays on Tuesday it marked the fifth organization he has been with since July.

The constant state of flux has made it challenging to settle in but such is the life of someone still attempting to establish himself as a potential Major Leaguer.

"It's an interesting dynamic," said Anderson, who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox. "It's not an uncommon one in baseball for a guy to get through the levels pretty quick and then kind of have to do a little bit extra to make it.

"I think that's where I'm at, I've accomplished a lot in my career that I can be proud of but there's a whole other level that I want to achieve."

Anderson was originally selected in the 18th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft by Boston. He quickly advanced through the system and prior to the 2009 campaign was listed as the game's 17th-best prospect according to Baseball America.

By 2010, though, his progress began to stagnate. He reached Triple-A but proceeded to spend the next three years at that level with the exception of a few brief appearances in the Majors.

Anderson's time with the Red Sox came to an end last year and ever since it seems as though he is constantly on the move. He'll be back in Triple-A again this season but with David Cooper likely out for the year with a back injury Anderson could provide some much-needed depth for the organization.

The 25-year-old is optimistic that his roster shuffling has come to an end. He'd like to settle in with the Blue Jays organization and even though there's no expectation to break camp with the club it doesn't mean an opportunity won't surface at some point this year.

"At a certain point you spend enough time in one place you look for a fresh start," said Anderson, who hit .250 with nine homers and 59 RBIs last year in Triple-A. "I think that's what I was looking for. And I got more than a fresh start, I got five new teams, so it's like be careful what you wish for.

"Especially at Triple-A I felt like I had good seasons but I never felt like I played the way I was capable of. So, for me, it was hard to feel frustrated about guys that were ahead of me because I didn't feel like I was putting pressure on the organization to call me up."