By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

LUCIUS Fox is on the move again this offseason and was claimed off the MLB waiver wire for the second time in as many weeks.

The 24-year-old infielder was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals and joins the fifth franchise of his MLB career.

He immediately became the No.25 ranked prospect in the Nationals’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline, and joins the team’s 40-man roster.

On November 20, the Baltimore Orioles claimed Fox off waivers from the Kansas City Royals.

Over the course of his minor league career, Fox has played 386 games at shortstop, 46 games at second base, nine games at third and eight games at centre field.

Fox is expected to contend in middle infield position battles against Alcides Escobar, Luis García Carter Kieboom, and the recently signed Cesar Hernandez this spring.

Last season, he rose as high as No.26 in the Royals’ prospect pipeline and spent the bulk of his season at the AAA level with the Omaha Storm Chasers in the International League.

Fox had a strong conclusion to the season with a 10-game hit streak and produced six multi-hit games with three home runs in that timespan.

In 57 games with the Storm Chasers, Fox hit .245 with a .353 OBP, .729 OPS, 56 hits, five home-runs, 24 RBI, 44 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases.

Earlier in the season, Fox became the eighth Bahamian to join a Major League Baseball roster for the regular season.

His brief call-up lasted just a single game when the Kansas City Royals announced his promotion on July 30, hours ahead of a 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Canada.

Fox did not make his official debut on the field in the contest and the following day, he was optioned back down to the Storm Chasers.

Fox was the marquee prospect of the San Francisco Giants’ International Signing Class in July 2015

In August 2016, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays along with Matt Duffy and Michael Santos in the deal which sent left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to the Giants.

In four years with the Rays, he received numerous accolades in the farm system, including a 2017 selection to the MLB Futures Game.

Fox was traded for the second time in his young baseball career in August 2020 when he was traded away from the Rays to the Royals in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips.

In five minor league seasons, Fox is hitting .244 with a .339 on base percentage and a .332 slugging percentage.