2:35pm: Alvarez can earn up to $5.85MM if all available incentives are achieved, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That includes a $4.25MM guarantee and $1.6MM in possible incentive pay.
2:23pm: The prospective deal is for one year, with $4MM in guaranteed money and “big incentives,” tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
2:18pm: The Athletics are nearing agreement on a contract with free agent righty Henderson Alvarez, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Alvarez, 25, was non-tendered recently by the Marlins, who set him loose rather than committing to pay a projected $4MM through arbitration.
The major question with Alvarez, of course, is the health of his shoulder. He underwent surgery in late July and had apparently not progressed to the point that Miami felt confident in a tender. Alvarez is said to be likely to miss the first month of the regular season in the best case scenario.
Of course, there’s some real upside to be captured for the A’s if things work out. Alvarez posted a 2.98 ERA in the 289 2/3 innings he threw over the 2013-14 seasons. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but has managed to generate those excellent results with strong control and groundball production.
Then, there’s the contractual upside to be found. Because he entered the offseason with just over four years of service on his clock, Alvarez can be tendered a contract in 2017. That would effectively provide an option to Oakland, with the cost to exercise it dependent upon Alvarez’s performance (upon which his prospective arbitration earnings would depend).
Dang it, wanted the braves to get him. Good for the A’s, smart as usual
I wanted him for the Royals and so did his best friend Sal Perez. Also the A’s being smart as usual flew out the window in 2015 when then signed BUtler for 3 years and traded donaldson for peanuts. Beane is off his rocker..
Royals should have signed him. Any team could use him for that deal and that upside
When your a team with no money to spend these are signings you see. But heck As don’t make that bad of moves
Just because the A’s are mostly smart with money, doesn’t mean they don’t have any. They gave Butler 30 mill because no hitters will ever sign there unless its an overpay.
Hearing Kazmir is very much in play for Oakland too. Gray-Kazmir-Alvarez-Hill with Manaea, Bassit, Graveman, Nolin? Sounds good. It also proves that Hahn doesn’t look like he’s any chance to play next year and Parker is a longshot too.
He wouldn’t be after this signing
Why wouldn’t he be? The A’s don’t view Bassit, Graveman or Nolin as early-season rotation options, and Alvarez is only on a 1-year deal and is a risk in himself.
The only reason the A’s would sign Alvarez is to be a top of the rotation option, and the A’s have been saying all along they’ve been looking for a number 2 behind Sonny. They wouldnt just sign Alvarez for depth when we already have tons of it, especially when they are giving him guaranteed 4mil. Rotation most likely is Sonny, Alvarez, Hill, Hahn, and Bassitt, with Graveman getting the opportunity to show what hes got in spring.
Uh, no – all of that is incorrect.
1. The A’s would sign him to be -A- rotation option, not a “top of the rotation option”. He has a significant injury and might be done forever. He is a risk
2. They need a 2 behind Gray, and Kazmir is that guy.
3. They absolutely do not have SP depth, at all. You are very wrong there.
4. Four mill on a flyer who got Cy votes in 2014 is about the going rate. The A’s gave $6M to Nakajima to never suit up for them, and $30M for Butler, one of the worst hitters in the game, so dont cry poor for them either.
5. Guess you have you not heard about Hahn? He’s probably going to miss a large amount of 2016 if not all of it due to trying to avoid a second TJ. They need more than one option.
Rotation is most likely Gray, ? (Kazmir), Hill, Alvarez (in May after he’s done rehabbing) then one of Manaea, Bassit, Graveman or Nolin.
For being an Oakland fan you really need to pay more attention.
Okay, he may not slot in at #2 in the rotation but he will be in there somewhere which shapes their rotation. Hahn, Sonny, Bassitt, Gravemen, Nolin, Brooks, Hill, and Jarrod Parker coming back at some point soon hopefully. If that is not depth as it stand, I dont know what is. Can’t forget a guy named Manaea either. Saying the A’s do not have depth is one of the dumbest statements, I am sorry, but it is. And four mil for a team like the A’s is a decent sized investment considering how small of market team they are, and the amount of money they have left to work with after the Axford and Madson signings. And where do you see that Hahn is going to miss a large amount of 2016? He should be ready by opening day.
Yeaaaaaaaah, Alvarez was not signed to be a #2 starter. Or a #3 starter. Or a #4 starter. That’s why he got a 1 year $4.25M deal instead of 10 times that like top of the rotation starters usually get. They signed him to be rotation depth. Maybe a 5th starter, maybe a long reliever, depends how he does. Bassitt and Graveman both have more upside. The rotation right now is probably Gray, Bassitt, Graveman, Hill and then one of a multitude of other options. Depending, of course, on how Hahn does.
Bassit and Graveman both have more upside than Alvarez. By a significant amount. Bassitt is actually looking very promising right now. He’d be the #2 starter if the season started today..
Well I guess he’s our number 2 starter, pretty disappointed Billy wouldn’t spend the money to get a guy like Kazmir, but that’s the A’s for ya.
You are wrong, there’s absolutely no reason why Beane won’t get both. You are making this up out of nowhere.
I will guarantee you they don’t sign both……..
I will guarantee you they sign or trade for another SP option who is a significant add….
He’s not our #2 starter, why would anyone think that? He’s a decent, injured pitcher who we’re paying almost no money too. He’ll probably be a long reliever, 5th starter for most of the year, if that.
Good value pickup with upside, but they’re destine for 5th in the West
“destined for 5th place in the West”
Just like you said in 2012, 13 and 14, right? lol this is why Oakland is so much fun.
As a 2012 and 13 season ticket holder……yes 5th in the West this year.
Ticket holder or not, youre most likely going to be wrong because baseball rarely makes sense or plays out on paper.
I’m not an A”s fan so i don’t care either way. But everyone else in the division was better last year and no one has gotten worse. Speaking in percentages, yes i’m probably wrong since there’s 5 teams and unforeseen variables. When the A’s finish 4th in the division i hope you get a warm fuzzy feeling.
Oakland Season ticket holders are honestly the worst. I have to deal with them a lot every year. They are the most negative fans I have ever been around and they forget so much. Even with the team they were last year they had a terrible bullpen. The SP were good for the most part and the offense was there. Every single game was blown by the bull pen, which they are addressing. As one of those asses that jumps around and acts dumb in the RF bleachers, I’m not dumb and do’t expect them to be in first and run away with anything, but 5th is certainly not an expectation.
No, thats not even right – the A’s lost an absurd amount of 1-run games – 35 to be exact. To write them off as being true to their record when fangraphs was writing articles calling them the unluckiest team in MLB HISTORY – you really need to check yourself before posting outright fallacies like that.
@pileofsandwich – I get you! I used to read that athletics nation site but I couldn’t stand their horrendously negative groupthink. Like even right now they still cant see the forest from the trees and totally are ignoring that Reddick is probably the best OF on next years FA market, meaning there;s 0% chance he gets extended. Plus he’s on record as being the most vocal anti-management, questioning almost every trade Beane has made, Absolutely no chance he signs an extension with Oakland – he’s gunna hit the market and make potentially $100M next year in the weakest market in a long time. Some team will have that money to give him, and he’ll get it if he repeats his 2015 in 16.
Not sure why Phillies wouldn’t have gone after him instead of trading for Charlie Morton and taking on his higher salary.
Um because Charlie Morton isn’t injured and can provide veteran leadership for Nola and the rest of the young starters and eat innings for the all new bullpen. Alvarez is unlikely to be able to provide either of those things.
And where is the basis for your comment?
The guys probably thinking that he could be a rebuild piece as well.
Hill and Alvarez could make the a’s a fringe contender. Wise signings if everything works out
Damn dude, pass around what you’re smokin. An injured contact pitcher with that D? And a 35 year old who’s pitched 100 innings in the last 6 years with only 4 starts makes u a fringe contender? I need some of that optimism
Hope they acquire some more offense but agree that they could contend.
Not saying they’re a lock to but they could.
Any team could contend. its not impossible. But, Rich Hill, Ryan madson, Henderson Alvarez, and John Axford do not make you 20 wins better.Not when your D is last and your hitting is middle of the pack. 13 wins away fro 500 last year and a bunch of old bullpen arms make you a contender? Deadline sellers again.
So how did the angels improve this off season? They did nothing but swap SS and lost some bullpen help. What did the M’s do? Pick up a #4 starter and a couple bench players. What did the Astros do? worked on their bullpen also. Texas hasn’t done a thing either but lost their second best starter. So the division is still anyone’s to win.
Texas gets Yu Darvish back and a healthy(hopefully) Derrick Holland.
You don’t always improve from just adding and trading.
how did the angels improve? Best defensive player in the game at the most critical position. Bullpen get’s joe smith back. They needed more OBP and got a new LF platoon in Nava who’s a career .370 OBP against RHP and Gentry who’s a .350 OBP against LHP.
On to the M’s. Needed a top of the order OBP/speed guy and got Aoki. Got a power hitting first baseman with a career .360 Obp in Lind. Added Miley, Karns, and Benoit to the pitching staff. Just got back Iwakuma as well. Get a full season of marte at SS.
The Rangers get a full season out of Hamels and get Yu Darvish back. Added to their already impressive bullpen with willhelmsen and get a full year from Joey Gallo.
Astros are young as hell and everyone now has playoff experience. Added an elite closer to their good bullpen. Brought back Rasmus.
2 of those teams made the playoffs. Angels were 1 game back.
A’s improved their bullpen for sure, but overall have a lot of players on the wrong side of 30 and a shoddy defense. Billy butler will be better and hopefully they stay a little healthier(although i’m sort of convinced their training staff is a bunch of grad students), but other than Sonny Gray; Graveman, Hill, Alvarez doesn’t get my loins tingling. HOW IS EVERYONE SO EXCITED ABOUT RICH HILL!?!?!? 100ip in 6 seasons! 36 years old in March. The Red Sox had holes in their rotation and tons of money and didn’t want him back that bad.
Are they going to be better? Yes. They WERE unlucky and almost lost 100 games so its hard to be worse. And obviously fans of the team will be optimistic. But i’m on the outside looking in and i see a .500 team. Which is improvement and they can be on the way up. But contenders? In that tough division where everyone is either younger with loads of talent or has deep pockets? Good Luck.
The A’s lost 35 1-run games last year before going into sell-mode, they absolutely were not as bad as their record – we all know this, come on.
Maybe they did!
Guess Cashman aint interested in young pitching. Would have been a good pick up for the Yankees.
I think a lot of teams missed out on this deal
Like the Marlins, who need him and still non-tendered him, with a payroll of $45 million
This confirms my belief that the Marlins non-tendered him b/c of the money, even though he’ll only miss a month or 2. What a joke. Happy he ended up in a real baseball organization, like the Oakland A’s. Good for you, Hendo
So 28 other teams didn’t sign him because of money?
Don’t care what you guys say. Good signing cheap and short deal. They’ll flip him at the deadline and cash out