Baltimore Orioles: Can Pedro Alvarez slug his way to a big league job in 2018?

Baltimore Orioles slugger Pedro Alvarez can use the month of September as a chance to audition for a big league job somewhere in 2018.

Earlier this month, the Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of Pedro Alvarez from Triple-A Norfolk. Alvarez had hit .239/.294/.442 with 26 home runs and 89 RBI for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate.

Alvarez spent last season with the Orioles as well, hitting a very respectable .249/.322/.504 with 22 home runs and 49 RBI over 109 games. Prior to the 2016 campaign, Alvarez spent six years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His best season came back in 2013, when he hit .233/.296/.473 with an NL-best 36 home runs. Alvarez also drove in 100 runs in 2013.

Given Alvarez’s track record as a solid offensive player, it was somewhat surprising that he had to take a minor league deal for the 2017 season. Aside from being a good source of left-handed power, however, other aspects of Alvarez’s game have generally been subpar. Although he has a solid 9.4 percent walk rate for his career, he has managed only a .311 lifetime on-base percentage. He has also struck out at a 28.7 percent clip for his career.

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Defensive struggles

There have also been issues with Alvarez’s defense in recent years. After a 2014 season in which he committed 25 errors at third base, the Pirates moved him across the diamond to first base. Although Alvarez had a good year at the plate in 2015, he ranked last among all qualified first basemen in MLB with -13 defensive runs saved. Alvarez was later non-tendered by the Pirates before being signed by the Orioles.

Last season, Alvarez played a tiny bit of third base for the Orioles, but committed four errors in only 12 games. He was used primarily as a designated hitter. While playing in Triple-A Norfolk this season, Alvarez played right field, a position he has never played at the major league level, and also first base.

On Monday night’s 10-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox, Alvarez started at DH for the Orioles and batted eighth. He had a great night at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a home run and two walks.

Adjusting to part-time role

Per Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun, Alvarez recently spoke of the attitude he keeps in coming to the park every day and being ready for his opportunities when he gets them.

"“[T]he mentality is always the same, just coming to the park thinking you’re going to play and being ready for it. Everybody who’s here wants to play every day. That’s out of our hands. I just have to be prepared.”"

Even if Alvarez cannot re-establish himself as someone who can handle an everyday role in the final weeks of the season, it will be interesting to see if teams might show interest in him as a platoon player over the coming offseason. For his career, he has slashed .247/.322/.479 against right-handed pitching.

Despite his defensive limitations, Alvarez’s bat was good enough to help him achieve a 1.2 fWAR just last season. The Orioles already have a DH for the next two seasons in Mark Trumbo, but it will be interesting to see if Alvarez may be able to find a job, whether in Baltimore or elsewhere, for the 2018 season. The upcoming free agency of Seth Smith could potentially create more flexibility in right field as well.

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As he showed in the minor leagues this season, Alvarez can still certainly hit the long ball. With a strong finish to the 2017 campaign, Alvarez, who is now 30 years old, may be able to show that he still has something to offer a big league team.