Miami Marlins sign Pedro Alvarez to minor league deal
A former top prospect of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pedro Álvarez, who spent the 2018 season with the Baltimore Orioles, has joined the Miami Marlins.
According to an official team release, the Miami Marlins have signed Pedro Álvarez to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com adds that he is not on the 40-man roster and is thus considered a non-roster invitee.
Álvarez, 31, has unfortunately seen his career derail fast. A first round (second overall) pick in 2008 by the Pirates, he hit 30 home runs in 2012, 36 in 2013, and 27 in 2015. Overall, he logged 742 games with the Pirates, from his debut in 2010 to his non-tendering in 2015.
He then signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles, proceeding to hit 22 home runs and driving in 49 in 109 contests in 2016. Following the conclusion of his contract, he re-signed with the Orioles on a minor-league deal and was designated for assignment in June. After spending the last two years between AAA and Baltimore, he joins the Marlins in hopes of regaining his stock.
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For the Marlins, this appears to be a relatively low-risk deal, as Álvarez, a decently cheap potential trade chip, could contribute minimally in the way of offense as the season progresses. Though originally a third baseman, he’s seen his defensive stock tumble considerably since reaching the majors, and has also shifted over to first when on the field.
According to Fangraphs, he posted a -0.9 UZR with the Orioles in 2018 and UZRs of -2.2, -11.4, -3.1, -5.9 and -1.9 in each of the previous five seasons, dating back to his tenure with the Pirates. He logged only 7.0 innings at first with Baltimore in 2018.
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Regardless, it’s clear that the Miami Marlins are in a bit of a confused period. While they have signed some impressive international free agents, they don’t have much talent on the major league squad and must, as a result, rely on some minor leaguers to eat up innings until their young talent arrives. Now, Álvarez will be added to that mix. It will, of course, become much clearer what his role will be after the winter concludes.