Despite registering only 34 plate appearances in the major leagues last season, slugger Pedro Alvarez has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Orioles for the second straight year.
The deal was made official Monday morning as Alvarez will attempt to make the 25-man roster after spending most of last season with Triple-A Norfolk. The 31-year-old corner infielder has abandoned his hopes of becoming an outfielder after the experiment didn’t work with the Tides last season.
Alvarez batted .239 with 26 home runs, 89 runs batted in, and a .737 on-base plus slugging percentage for Norfolk last season. He played sparingly upon being promoted to the major league roster last September, hitting one home run and batting .313 in 14 games. With Chris Davis entrenched at first base and Mark Trumbo expected to again be the regular designated hitter this season, Alvarez faces an uphill battle to make the club, but he could provide depth at Norfolk for the second straight year.
The former second overall pick of the 2008 draft posted an impressive .848 on-base plus slugging percentage against right-handed pitching for the Orioles in 2016, but his career .613 OPS against lefties and defensive limitations have led to little interest for his services on the open market for three straight offseasons.
