Orioles, Pedro Alvarez agree to minor-league deal

For the second year in a row, Pedro Alvarez will be playing for Baltimore. This time, it’ll be on a minor league contract, as first reported by Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports. The 30-year-old will reportedly be making a base salary of $2MM and will be granted another $3.5MM worth of incentives if he makes the majors.

The slugger put up a slash of .249/.322/.504 last year, performing best again right handed pitchers. While he still showed off a decent degree of power, hitting 22 homers, he was no smarter at the plate. Alvarez racked up 97 strikeouts last season in 337 at bats, most of those at the hands out south paw pitching.

This offseason has shown us a trend in signing veterans who still have a little power left in the to minor league deals. Alvarez was a top prospect for Pittsburgh, drafted No. 2 overall in 2008. He spent six season with the Pirates in the majors before signing to Baltimore as a free agent in 2016.

If he makes it to the majors, it’s projected that Alvarez will play the outfield for the Orioles. This is in contrast to last year, where he was the DH and occasional third baseman. Alvarez’s defensive numbers aren’t sparkling, but he’s reportedly been working on his fielding skills all spring. With Baltimore resigning Mark Trumbo this offseason, the best landing spot (and probably most steady) for Alvarez will be a corner outfield position.