PEDRO ALVAREZ
2/6/87; '08 1st; Vanderbilt Univ.
L/R; 6-2, 212
| Level |
BA |
OBP |
SA |
AB |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
| 2006 NCAA |
.329 |
.456 |
.675 |
240 |
15 |
1 |
22 |
57 |
64 |
7 |
3 |
| 2007
NCAA |
.386 |
.463 |
.684 |
272 |
21 |
3 |
18 |
40 |
65 |
6 |
2 |
| 2008 NCAA |
.317 |
.424 |
.593 |
167 |
15 |
2 |
9 |
28 |
28 |
1 |
1 |
The Pirates garnered significant publicity by drafting
Alvarez and then, seemingly, signing him for a $6M bonus. Alvarez was considered by many the top talent in the 2008 draft class from the day he set foot on the Vanderbilt campus. As the numbers show, he was a prolific power hitter his first two years in college. He also has performed very well in wood bat tournaments. The Pirates, however, had increasingly alienated their fans by their refusal to pursue expensive players in the draft. The fans' distrust of the team's willingness to try to improve reached a high point with its decision to draft a reliever, Dan Moskos, with the fourth pick in the 2007 draft in a move obviously based on cheapness. With Alvarez being a client of Scott Boras, fans remained suspicious that the team would draft, and then sign, him. The Pirates addressed that doubt by selecting Alvarez and signing him sometime around the midnight deadline for a bonus of $6M. Alvarez, however, then refused to sign the deal, as Boras claimed that the agreement had occurred after midnight. The result was a grievance filed by the union against MLB that was ultimately settled when the Pirates and Alvarez agreed to a four-year major league contract worth a guaranteed $6.355M.
As far as
on-field ability is concerned, the principal question mark about Alvarez has been his defense. He has a strong arm, but has been erratic at third. Some scouts consider him athletic enough to make sufficient progress to stay at third as an average fielder. Others, not including the Pirates or Alvarez himself, believe he'll have to move to first. A bigger question mark arose, however, when he was hit by a pitch early in the 2008 season and broke the hamate bone in his right hand. Numerous articles at Baseball America and elsewhere, as well as pre-draft statements from Pirates GM Neal Huntington concerning medical advice he'd received, have indicated that an injury of that sort may detract from a hitter's power for a year or so, but should eventually cause no loss of ability. Alvarez hit well after his return from the injury, just not as well as expected from the top talent in the draft. He nevertheless remained the draft's top talent in the estimation of most people who followed the draft closely, with a chance to become a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter. The fact that he'd be a left-handed hitter in PNC Park is also helpful. One caveat might be that he does strike out a lot.
The
Pirates initially hoped to sign Alvarez quickly so he could play for two months in the minors, but Boras followed his standard practice of refusing to negotiate until shortly before the August 15 midnight deadline. The result was a dispute that drew considerable attention until the settlement occurred. Alvarez will receive a little more guaranteed money than the bonus he originally agreed to, but the deal could end up netting him somewhat
more if he manages to reach the majors quickly and stay there. From the Pirates' standpoint, the money will be spread out over more time than a minor league deal. There's a provision for a fifth year in which the Pirates will pay Alvarez $1.63M, but he will have the ability to void it and go to arbitration if he's eligible. To make a couple points clear that always seem to come up: the timeline by which Alvarez will become eligible for
arbitration and free agency will not change in any way. The only difference is that the Pirates had to put Alvarez on the 40-man roster immediately and will have to start using options as soon as they send him to the minors.
Alvarez was expected to go immediately to fall instructional league. The Pirates had hoped to send him to one of the off-season prospect leagues, but may not do so because it would mean removing another player, which would be unfair. Odds are Alvarez will start off his first year in the Carolina League, as Matt Wieters did. The Pirates will be looking for him to move up very quickly.
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