Astros GM: We're going to count on Rasmus for some leadership

Colby Rasmus, the taciturn center fielder who signed a one-year deal with the Houston Astros on Tuesday, spent the first six seasons of his career deferring in the clubhouse to more experienced players. The 26-year-old will be relied upon in 2015 to be a leader on a largely inexperienced team.

"Colby's always been one of the younger players on a veteran team," general manager Jeff Luhnow told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "Now he's coming into this opportunity knowing that he's going to be one of the guys other guys are going to look at because he's a free agent who's been through his six years (of service time).

"He and (newcomer) Jed (Lowrie), those are going to be the type of guys - obviously, (Jose) Altuve is young, but he's going to be a leader. We're going to count on (Rasmus) for some leadership. It's a good opportunity for him to take that clubhouse presence to the next level."

Rasmus, an Alabama native, was not a vocal presence in the clubhouse during his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, but Luhnow explained that there are other ways for the repatriated southerner to provide leadership.

"Being in a leadership role just means going out there and playing and doing what you've got to do for your team, and more so leading by example and not with my mouth," he said. "It's just being good to guys and loving guys, even the younger guys. Try to love everybody and make them feel welcome and make them feel like they're a part of the team. … If we can all pull on the same rope, with the talent we have, we can definitely make a run at this thing."

Rasmus is expected to receive plenty of innings in center field for the Astros in 2015 despite his struggles with the Blue Jays last season. He managed just 0.6 WAR over 104 games, hitting .225/.287/.448 with 18 home runs while posting -7 defensive runs saved.