For the second straight offseason, Pedro Alvarez lingered on the free-agent market until March, and for the second straight season, the slugger has found a home with the Orioles. Alvarez has reportedly agreed to a minor league deal to return to Baltimore. His contract contains a $2MM base salary and another $3.5MM worth of incentives. Most surprising of all, however, is that he’ll reportedly be tabbed as an outfielder this time around.
Alvarez, a Scott Boras client, spent the 2016 season in Baltimore, where he served primarily as a designated hitter but also saw 12 games at third base. Last year was a fairly typical season for the 30-year-old slugger, as he displayed significant power but struck out at a fairly high rate and provided little in the way of defensive value. Alvarez turned in strong numbers against right-handed pitching, hitting .251/.326/.522 with 21 of his 22 home runs. In a limited sample of 38 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, Alvarez hit just .237/.286/.368 with one homer.
It remains to be seen exactly how Alvarez will factor into the mix in Baltimore if the deal is completed and if he makes the club. While Alvarez was in lingering on the free agent market for the second consecutive offseason — he signed in Baltimore on March 8 last year — the Orioles re-signed Mark Trumbo and also acquired Seth Smith from the Mariners. With Smith and Hyun Soo Kim set to line up in the corner outfield against right-handed pitching, Trumbo figures to serve as the team’s DH on those days. That’d leave Alvarez as more of a bench bat or spot starter on days in which one of Trumbo, Kim or Smith needs a breather.
Alvarez has been working on his outfield defense all winter, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who reported the terms of the agreement. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to imagine Alvarez, who has graded as a poor defender at both corner infield positions, playing an average or better corner outfield. And the Orioles have a plethora of alternatives from which to choose.
In addition to the aforementioned trio of Trumbo, Smith and Kim, the O’s have sophomore Joey Rickard (a much-needed right-handed bat) and Rule 5 picks Aneury Tavarez and Anthony Santander in camp as well. Infielder Ryan Flaherty, too, has played some outfield in his career and figures to be assured of a bench spot, if healthy. Non-roster invitees Craig Gentry and Michael Bourn are in the mix as well, though Bourn is currently being sidelined by a broken finger.
A minor league deal for Alvarez serves as the latest data point in an offseason that has exemplified the market’s continuing shift away from one-dimensional sluggers. While a hefty supply of first base/designated hitter options in free agency this winter undoubtedly worked against Alvarez, the non-tender of NL home run leader Chris Carter and his subsequent $3.5MM deal with the Yankees was a clear sign that front offices are continuing to gravitate away from players of this ilk. Even higher-profile sluggers have settled for lesser deals than initially expected in recent years, as illustrated by the three-year deals for Trumbo and Edwin Encarnacion.
FanRag’s Tommy Stokke first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter). FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wow I’m shocked he couldn’t get a ML deal even with his poor D. Power seems to be a under valued asset anymore.
No power is still valued in the league, just not from the left side. Primarily RH all or nothing power is valued more.
Striking out 26% of the time while walking less than 10% of the time isnt as desirable as well from a left handed power threat.
Chris Carter struck out like 33% of the time but least he generated 12%.
Writing should have been on the wall for Boras when Moreland only got 5.5m and Moreland has an average to plus glove at 1st. Anyone think Boras stopped asking for too much money even after Moreland signed? me either..
Shame, cause there were several places he could have gone to with MLB deals earlier. Baltimore is a good destination, as long as he can still stick.
I think Carter, a guy who hit 41 homeruns last year was the clearer sign. Moreland is also not one dimensional like Carter, Trumbo, and Alverez are.. Moreland didn’t have a great year last year and is 32, so he was never gonna get a big deal.
Bat was the same is point. Like the other guys you brought up. None are going to get on base much, unless they hit the ball since they have little patience at the plate and only moreland has any value on defense.
Surprise to me was when trumbo got so much earlier, regardless of age with his defensive and obp shortcomings. Not a lot of difference to me between him and Al;varez.
It’s a shame that a good player like Pedro Alvarez has to take a minor league deal instead of getting a major league deal and starting at DH for a team
Is it though?
A minor league deal for a guy who had a 115 ops plus last year?
Pedroia had ops+ of 116
Pedroia isn’t a platoon DH who can’t run.
Alvarez isn’t even really a platoon hitter anymore, he had a weak side OPS of .671 last year, and .712 the year before -while he definitely was exposed early on, it looks like he’s slightly improved on his weak side – there’s plenty of starters with worse splits out there due to defensive reputations..
Not saying he should play everyday, but it would be interesting to see what he could do with regular everyday ABs.
Also yes, MLB shouldn’t be shaming hitters with OPS+’s over 110 for any reason, if you can do that, you belong in the game no matter how bad you are at everything else – hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest singular thing to do in all of pro sports – we should never frown on that for any reason.
“hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest singular thing to do in all of pro sports”
I’ve never understood this alleged truism.
Try covering Rob Gronkowski in the end zone. Try making the OBJ catch. Try stopping a Shea Weber slap shot through a screen. Try draining a buzzer beating full court shot.
Hitting a round ball with a round bat is so hard that Little Leaguers and beer leaguers can do it.
If you want to argue that hitting MLB pitching is the hardest thing, so be it.. But, let’s kill the nonsensical round ball/bat cliche.
let’s not kill it.
Show me a successful goalie with a .300 Saves Percentage.
Apples and oranges.
Show me a successful pitcher with a .300 batting average against.
Show me a hockey player with a .300 shooting percentage and you’ll have someone shooting well over 3x league average.
Pedro in the OF?
I’d let him close a 2-1 divisional game before I put him in the OF. “Lumbering” is his peak speed.
Bold prediction of the day: Alvarez will have more DRS than Kevin Kiermeier this season.
Classic Duquette! Nice move, not sure bout OF thing though. This is the yr Buck overcomes the get em close but not too the promised land stigma…Let’s Go O’s!!!
They’re still at least two starting pitchers away from that and they didn’t really improve much this offseason
And they have to assume Britton has another lights-out season and the rest of the pen holds up and stays injury-free.
The motto on their mission statement says “Get them close so we can draw 2M fans and put $ in Angelos pocket.”
They do not, will not or will ever compete for a title. Duquette must hate his job nickel and dimeing all day long. The Orioles remind me of the Donald Sterling Clippers… it’s all about something other than winning.
10th in baseball in payroll. Slightly under $160 mil. More than the A’s and Reds payrolls together.
The problem is a lot of the money is spent on players who are not living up to their contracts: UJ ($13.5 m), Miley (8.75 m), and I guess Hardy ($14 m). That is $36 mil in salary that will be off the books after this season.
Good. At least now we won’t have to hear about how Pedro Alvarez would be such a great fit from a certain segment of White Sox fans, many of whom also subscribe to the theory that their current rebuild is just a conspiracy by the front office to rid the club of alleged troublemakers Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.
Pedro Alvarez in the OF? Hitters can call their shots and tell him they’re hitting a line drive to him and he still won’t catch it. Can’t wait to see him in Baltimore’s OF.
Pedro always had a fair glove, and good arm strength… he just can’t aim worth a darn. for his size he was also pretty quick.. surely no speedster though. Corner OF almost makes some sense Still wouldn’t be my first choice..
But i didn’t see him at all last year…. hopefully it works out.
Nobody like the term “ilk” . fans want to see home runs not hack writing.
I like the term ilk more than your ilk.
citizen:
Don’t cry over spelled ilk…..
“Hack writing?” I learned something today. Go hate on someone else’s article troll