Pedro Alvarez has re-upped with the Baltimore Orioles on a minor league deal, and he’ll also be making a switch to the outfield.
Veteran slugger Pedro Alvarez has reportedly agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The deal will pay him $2 million, plus another $3.5 million in potential incentives. Surprisingly, the O’s are planning to play Alvarez in the outfield, though he has never appeared there in his seven-year major league career. He has previously only played the corner infield positions and designated hitter.
That Alvarez had to settle for a minor league deal in March after Spring Training games had already begun is merely the latest evidence that MLB teams are not all too enamored at the moment with one-dimensional power hitters. Alvarez stayed on the market for a while last year as well until the Orioles scooped him up.
He enjoyed a solid first year in Baltimore in 2016 as far as his skill set goes. Alvarez slashed .249/.322/.504 with 22 home runs and 49 RBI in 109 contests. His .826 OPS was a career high, as was his 117 wRC+. The O’s deployed him strategically, as he performed significantly better against right-handers (.848 OPS vs RHP, .671 vs LHP).
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Alvarez has developed a reputation for power, averaging 27 home runs over the past five seasons. While a member of the Pirates, he led the National League with 36 homers in 2013. (That was also the only year he reached 100 RBI, as well as his lone All-Star appearance.) Like many sluggers, strikeouts have been his Achilles heel. Alvarez has posted a strikeout rate of over 25 percent in every season of his career, eclipsing the 30-percent mark four times.
Lofty home run totals are certainly not scorned, but teams are looking for their investments to be a little more well-rounded these days. That’s why all-or-nothing power bats – guys who mash plenty of long balls but strike out every three or four at-bats like clockwork – have struggled on the open market recently.
Mark Trumbo, who led the majors with 47 homers in 2016, was left twisting in the wind for a bit before the Orioles re-signed him this winter. Chris Carter tied for the NL lead with 41, but had to wait until right before Spring Training before the Yankees took a one-year flyer on him.
Should he make the team, it’s hard to see where Alvarez really fits in the outfield. With Adam Jones entrenched in center, Hyun Soo Kim and offseason trade acquisition Seth Smith figure to handle the corner spots. Joey Rickard is also in the mix, and Trumbo will likely get some starts in the field based on matchups and lineup configurations.
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That could limit the 30-year-old Alvarez to more of a bench role, pinch-hitter type. Based on the degree of interest he generated (or rather, didn’t generate) this offseason, that might be the best he can expect right now. He’ll need to prove himself this spring to push for playing time and earn his keep.