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Central Notes: Alvarez, Uribe, Brewers

By Jeff Todd | February 2, 2016 at 8:44am CDT

Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News takes an interesting look back at what was perhaps the first modern deployment of the opt-out clause. Then-Twins GM Andy MacPhail utilized a player option to lure top starter Jack Morris to the organization. “I thought, what’s the worst thing that can happen?” says the current Phillies president. “I was already committed to giving him $9 million over three years. He could pitch great and leave or he could like it and stay the whole time. Either scenario, I would’ve taken. Nor did I get any criticism at the time.” Things couldn’t have worked out much better, as it turns out, as Morris helped lead Minnesota to a World Series before departing. If you’re interested in some more reading on the history and development of the now-pervasive opt-out, check out this piece from MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes.

Here are some notes from the game’s central divisions:

  • Former Pirates corner infielder Pedro Alvarez is more than just a DH, his agent Scott Boras tells MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). Alvarez still has the skills and athleticism that got him to the hot corner in Pittsburgh in the first place, says Boras, who rejects the idea that he’s a bat-only player “based upon a short sample size or a moment in his career where he’s had an irregularity in throwing.”
  • The Indians are still pursuing free agent third baseman Juan Uribe, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. We’ve heard consistent chatter on that connection for quite some time, but it still isn’t clear whether Cleveland will (or will need to) push up its offer to get something done. There have also been suggestions that the club may be prepared to wait to see who’s left without a seat when the music stops this winter.
  • The Brewers have paid a lot of attention to center field this winter, Tom Haudricourt writes for Baseball America. In the immediate term, the organization will hold “an open competition,” per GM David Stearns, with veterans Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Eric Young Jr. looking to hold off youngsters Domingo Santana and Keon Broxton. Of course, Santana is seen more as a corner outfielder in the long run, but the club will presumably dedicate most of its playing time there to Ryan Braun and Khris Davis. As for Broxton, Stearns had praise for him as a near-term and future option. “He gives us increased depth in the outfield and has a chance to play center field,” he said. “We think Keon has a chance to be a real asset to our team, beginning this year.”
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Cleveland Guardians Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Pittsburgh Pirates Juan Uribe Keon Broxton Pedro Alvarez

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47 Comments

  1. Philliesfan4life

    9 years ago

    Have the rays sign Alvarez , put him at DH and see if he can rebuild his value.

    Reply
    • Gogerty

      9 years ago

      Putting him at DH does not rebuild his value. His lost value is in his fielding. He is a 30/90 162 game average 28 year old with poor range.

      I get what you are saying though, strictly as a DH he would look mammoth, but doesn’t solve his fielding issues.

      Reply
      • lemieuxkarl66

        9 years ago

        His problem is he strikes out every AB and chases ugly pitches out of the zone.

        He pretty much only hits solo homers at this point, when someone coughs up a fastball.

        I think China is calling.

        Reply
        • oldoak33

          9 years ago

          “Strikes out and swings at pitches out of the zone”. Yup, a problem every other power hitter in the big leagues has. Teams won’t be deterred by his bat. They’ll be deterred by the fact that he is a huge liability in the field and the fact that Boras is likely asking for money that would be paid to a player that can play both sides of the ball.

          Reply
        • batman

          9 years ago

          They will also be deterred by the fact that hes pretty much useless against left-handed pitching in his career: .203/.270/.332 with an OPS of .601, a wRC+ of 68, and a K% of 36.0%

          Reply
        • disgruntledreader 2

          9 years ago

          28 other guys hit as many or more homers as Alvarez last year. TWO struck out more than him.

          48 guys had a better slugging percentage than Alvarez last year. FIVE struck out more than him. (And THREE got on base less frequently.)

          There’s plenty to question about Alvarez long before you get to the fact that he’s been at “a moment in his career” for some time “where he’s had an irregularity in throwing” that makes him incapable of doing so more accurately than a nine year old in Kenya.

          Reply
        • stymeedone

          9 years ago

          That’s an insult to Kenyan 9 year olds.

          Reply
        • malbowl29

          9 years ago

          These numbers are some what arbitrary.

          He was 15th in HR/AB. Of the players lower than him he was 3rd in K% and 11th in BB%. Right along with your numbers.

          But they don’t make a point he isn’t productive, and can’t be productive, at the plate. In fact one of those players that on both those lists you named is Chris Davis, who strikes out at a 30% clip.

          Davis walks more (3% higher last season), strikes out more (5%), and is an average defender. He’s absolutely more valuable than Pedro. But to say Pedro has no value is wrong.

          I think Boras is somewhat crazy, but if Pedro puts up the same season at DH he’ll be a valuable player for an AL team.

          Reply
    • baronbeard

      9 years ago

      The Rays don’t really have room for him.

      Reply
  2. ronnsnow

    9 years ago

    Pedro has 131 HR in his career, and 133 errors. What is this “short sample size” Boras is talking about?

    Reply
    • disgruntledreader 2

      9 years ago

      When you stack up all the evidence, it’s only 5’6″.

      Reply
  3. felinelopez2

    9 years ago

    Anybody else find it absolutely hilarious how hard Boras is trying to gauge a new market for Pedro? Lol.

    Reply
    • Monkey’s Uncle

      9 years ago

      Yes, absolutely. I almost feel bad for Pedro. One thing I have always given him credit for: no matter how much he struggled as a Pirate, he still played hard and didn’t sulk. He seems to have a rather quiet and unemotional personality, but he always ran the bases hard, cheered for his teammates and never made a bunch of excuses for his errors or strikeouts… but now Boras is throwing every excuse for Pedro he can think of against the wall, and hoping at least one of them sticks. And it looks rather pathetic, I think.

      Reply
      • bucsfan

        9 years ago

        He had attitude issues while in the minors and also when he was hurt at the end of last season. It wasn’t terribly public, so those outside Western Pa didn’t hear too much about it but it was under the surface.

        Reply
        • Monkey’s Uncle

          9 years ago

          I remember those from the minors. I didn’t read about any last year but I admit that I am not always the closest news follower. I am not trying to defend Pedro so much as suggest that he is being badly served in some respects by how Boras is portraying him… but then again, if Pedro didn’t like it, he could change agents. Thanks for your info.

          Reply
    • Cam

      9 years ago

      What’s the hilarious bit? Drumming up a market is his job.

      Literally, what he’s paid to do.

      Reply
      • Monkey’s Uncle

        9 years ago

        I took “hilarious” as referring to both the frequency Boras makes claims, and in this case the ridiculousness of them. I cannot imagine how he is helping Alvarez by suggesting that the Pirates played Alvarez too far away from the bag, as Boras did yesterday. Boras is not a fielding instructor. He also is trying to throw the Pirate organization under the proverbial bus, which can’t sit well with some executives. Finally, the point, and other points he has made regarding Pedro, are absurd. Boras isn’t in this case “drumming up a market”; he’s making misstatements and half-truths. And he is doing so much more often, and with much more blatant lack of truth, than any other agent. Sure, it helps keep Alvarez in the news… but in this case Boras, and by extension Alvarez, really appear foolish to many of us.

        Reply
    • davidcoonce74

      9 years ago

      Why would that be hilarious? That’s what he gets paid to do; find work for his client. Of course he’s going to try anything he can to find work for ALvarez; if he didn’t he would be a lousy agent.

      Reply
  4. MB923

    9 years ago

    Pedro Alvarez is ranked 96th out of 114 qualified fielders in UZR/150 over the past 3 years. He has a career -4.6 dWAR, including a -2.3 in 2015. And this is in over 2100 innings, so I don’t know what Boras defines as a “short sample size”

    Reply
  5. Kershawshank Redemption 2

    9 years ago

    Pedro was fine at third until he started having throwing issues. He’s surprisingly quick for a big guy and has a solid glove

    He got pretty fat when he moved over to first. I’m not sure how agile he really is anymore. It would definitely take some dedication on his part to get back in shape, let alone figure out his throwing issues.

    Reply
    • oldoak33

      9 years ago

      This is the best post regarding Pedro’s situation IMHO.

      Reply
    • Monkey’s Uncle

      9 years ago

      I agree with this, except that I am not sure that he’s “out of shape”. Bigger, yes; less agile, probably, but the guy still runs surprisingly well for a guy his size: he’s no base stealer, but he doesn’t clog up the base paths either. I agree that he could drop a few pounds, perhaps he or someone with the Pirates thought he could bulk up a little moving off of 3rd.

      Reply
  6. Out of place Met fan

    9 years ago

    Brewers should really deal Davis, his value is at its apex, once he hits arbitration his HR tally will overvalue him.

    Cleveland or Baltimore make sense.

    Reply
    • Philliesfan4life

      9 years ago

      the angels make sense too, they have a hole in left field

      Reply
      • stymeedone

        9 years ago

        Every OF would make sense for the Angels, if only they could fit them under the cap. Since they can’t, no sense stating the obvious.

        Reply
    • Crewfan620

      9 years ago

      Agree with both thoughts here. And Khris would not cost any of those teams any top flight prospects. Maybe a couple of solid types would get a deal done.

      Reply
      • Out of place Met fan

        9 years ago

        I was thinking Sisco and maybe Scott from the O’s. Getting Lucroy’s replacement prior to dealing him would only strengthen their position for best possible offer.

        Reply
        • mikeyst13

          9 years ago

          Not sure the O’s would be real willing to give up Scott as a lefty that can touch 100 when they thought so much of him that they went $400,000 over scale to draft him. Sisco could be a decent target for Milwaukee though, they need something in their system at catcher.

          Reply
  7. nats7

    9 years ago

    All Boros clients are (one of a kind )according to him!He is single-handily ruining the game of baseball.

    Reply
  8. inkman69

    9 years ago

    Pedro has no business being on the field. Streaky hitter and error prone. Best thing Pittsburgh did was get rid of him. Ever notice, he never took blame for errors. He isn’t a team player…

    Reply
  9. triberulz

    9 years ago

    Indians should have waited in FA market. Davis is a 4th outfielder, Napoli was an unnecessary signing. Santana/Aguilar/Chisenhall/ (Sands before DFA) could play 1B. If the Indians waited they could have outbid everyone on Fowler/Jackson/ & signed Alvarez on the cheap for DH. Much more impact then Napoli (This year’s Moss), Davis, & Uribe.

    Reply
    • sportscoach

      9 years ago

      Actually the reason why they brought in Napoli and Davis is the fact they are well liked players by Francona and they needed a better first baseman and needed a veteran fourth outfielder. Napoli doesn’t hit for average, but he is a plus defender at first, has a lot of power from the right side and is a very well liked and respected ball player. He will be a great clubhouse presence for the Indians. When it comes to Davis, maybe we could have waited for Jackson or other guys, but I think they went with who Francona wanted. Both are on one year deal so this doesn’t hurt the team long term either way. Zimmer, Frazier and Bradley are the future guys on the Club. Uribe wants a full major league deal while Cleveland wants a minor league with incentives. Urshela should be our everyday 3B this season. If Bradley, Zimmer, and Frazier all pan out, we shall have a very good team for 17/18 and likely are the favorites to win it all then.

      Reply
      • triberulz

        9 years ago

        So that’s the hold up! The Indians want to give Uribe a minor league deal? What’s your source? That’s sad, Uribe is a Major League player not a career minor leaguer like Aguilar. I guess we must protect Butler/Cowgill/Otero on that 40 man roster. If the Indians don’t want to DFA those guys then flip Clevenger & Morimando for an impact bat like Baez on the Cubs who has no where to play once they sign either Fowler/Jackson. Who the Indians should have targeted in Tito’s 4th season where the goal should be to win a World Series now with one of the best pitching staffs in the MLB.

        Reply
        • sportscoach

          9 years ago

          Uribe is 38 years old and even though his production has been solid, he is overweight and has had off the field issues (aka was indicted but not convicted of murder several years ago) Indians do not want to sign him unless it’s minor league since if he makes the team it will be in the Mike Aviles role and not an everyday. He will be signed as an insurance policy since Urshela is the everyday 3B. Sign him to a major league contract they would have to release a player who is younger and under team control. Hence why they haven’t traded any of their pitchers.

          Reply
        • triberulz

          9 years ago

          The Indians don’t have to release a young talent, like I said there are 3 journeymen on the bottom of the roster they could easily DFA. At 38 do you think Uribe wants to play in the minors? He might as well retire, the shooting is old news. I quit going to games & stopped being a season ticket holder because the Indians never get free agency right. They always have the wrong approach.

          Reply
        • sportscoach

          9 years ago

          I don’t disagree with you in the sense of the wrong approach to be honest, but they already spent everything they were going to on Napoli and Davis. Part of the reason I think Shapiro left was cause he could spend money in Toronto. The owners don’t give enough money to the team to win unless they win through trades/draft. Also I never wanted Uribe since Urshela needs to grow as a player and he will never hurt us defensively. The main core of the team is signed til 2020. With Santana likely to be released next season and Johnson’s coming off the next season after that, I expect next season we will make the signing we need hopefully

          Reply
        • triberulz

          9 years ago

          I’m not big on Uribe either, we need protection at 3B though in case Urshella gets injured.. I believe the Indians should keep playing Urshella on a everyday basis. The only other option is David Freese.. You would have to trade Santana, and Freese would have to be open to being a DH. Not a very likely scenario. Hopefully the Indians get Uribe on board as a N.R.I. We do need his depth at 3B. The Indians number of N.R.I.’s is 17 for spring training. My guess is 2 to 3 minor league contracts with an invitation is all the Indians have within the budget. That’s Dolan’s fault for not finding an investor in time for this season. With an investor on board payroll would obviously increase. I never blamed Shapiro ( wish him well in TOR.), or Antonetti for the Indians short comings. Only men to blame are the Dolan’s, it’s an ownership issue with the Indians..

          Reply
    • mattb13

      9 years ago

      I disagree some here. Liked the Napoli signing. Chisenhall is an outfielder, not a 1B. Sands is terrible and Aguilar is a minor legauer. Team needed to add a 1B/DH and they added one with pop that can also defend very well at 1B. Adding Napoli improved the lineup and improved the defense.

      Davis I don’t like quite as much but can play all 3 outfield spots and is a very good fill-in for Brantley. Needed someone to take ABs vs LHP with Almonte and Chisenhall on team. Low cost and he showed he can still play with the Tigers last few years.

      3B is area they need to upgrade still IMO. Uribe and Freese two options still there.

      Reply
  10. hackettball

    9 years ago

    Ahhhhh, Boras, you continue to prove that you should never own an MLB franchise. Lost in the shuffle of Boras comments is the fact that in his career Alvarez is a career .203 hitter vs. lefties.

    So we have a terrible defender who can’t throw and can’t hit lefties. Yes, he is a platoon DH at this point until he proves otherwise.

    Reply
  11. PhilliesFan012

    9 years ago

    Other than the Astros I don’t see any team that may need him, he could play first if they don’t have faith in singleton and he could split DH time with Gattis, or just be a bench role, worst case scenario he plays some third there too if he gets himself back into shape. Maybe the Yankees now that Bird is down for the year but Bird wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot so that doesn’t look like an immediate match either. Feel bad for Pedro because I always liked his potential to be a big power hitter but defense and inability to hit lefties is killing his market. Wish him the best of luck

    Reply
    • bucsfansince63

      9 years ago

      I couldn’t agree more. Alvarez could be useful until Reed arrives from minors. He can’t be any worse than Carter….I recall the inexplicable
      “Boras hold-em-out” tactic when Pedro was first drafted.

      Reply
      • PhilliesFan012

        9 years ago

        Carter was a catastrophe last year so anyone, especially Alvarez is a step up, and if he rebuilds value in Houston they ship him off for something when reed arrives or he leaves in FA for more $$$ seems like a win for both sides

        Reply
  12. pex5

    9 years ago

    the guy was selfish from his very signing. he had to be rushed due to signing a ml contract. refused twice playing fall ball. went to boras baseball academy and was rumored to be at the vandy batting cages playing long toss with david price. he was woefully unprepared to play first, good riddence.

    Reply
  13. alleymattie

    9 years ago

    Boras, he has too take 3 steps towards the pitcher just to soft toss the ball back.

    Reply
  14. bucsfansince63

    9 years ago

    Count me among those glad to see Pedro gone.
    I also think the Astros could use him until Reed shows up. He just isn’t worth what Boras wants.
    I also think that not getting Appel may turn out to be a blessing for the Bucs as well.

    Reply
  15. bk awesome

    9 years ago

    Y is Pedro Alvarez in this one

    Reply
  16. RedsNut1967

    9 years ago

    Could the Reds take a flyer on him ? Or any free agent who’s left ?

    Reply

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