The Orioles have agreed to a minor-league deal to bring back Pedro Alvarez after a cold free-agent market for his services this winter.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the 30-year-old has been learning to play the outfield this offseason as it’s no secret that he’s been a below-average defender at both third base and first base throughout his career. Alvarez will reportedly receive $2 million plus up to $3.5 million in incentives if he were to crack the major league roster.
Despite Alvarez posting a career-high .826 on-base plus slugging percentage and hitting 22 home runs in 376 plate appearances for Baltimore in 2016, his defensive limitations and struggles against left-handed pitching hinder his value at a time when clubs haven’t targeted one-dimensional power hitters like they once did. It’s the second straight year in which he’s waited until March to find a landing spot after Pittsburgh didn’t tender him a contract after the 2015 campaign and the Orioles didn’t sign him until last March.
Barring an injury, it’s difficult to see how Alvarez would fit on the 25-man roster with the Orioles already having two lefty-hitting outfielders in Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith as well as slugger Mark Trumbo, who is projected to serve as the primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching this season. The idea of having a home-run bat off the bench sounds appealing, but his inclusion on the roster would likely eliminate room for a platoon partner for Kim or Smith or a late-inning defensive replacement in the outfield, which is something manager Buck Showalter would like to have with a below-average group of corner outfielders.
According to The Sun, Alvarez will receive multiple opt-out dates in his minor-league agreement, but the first one doesn’t come until May, meaning he will have time at Triple-A Norfolk to prove whether he can be an adequate option in the outfield.
