Free-agent first baseman Pedro Alvarez is still without a team as spring training rapidly approaches. 

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O’s Showing Interest

Wednesday, Feb. 10

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Baltimore Orioles “like” Alvarez, per sources. 

The 29-year-old is looking for a new home for his seventh major league season after six with the Pittsburgh Pirates. A 2013 All-Star selection, he led the National League with 36 home runs that season; teams interested in Alvarez know what they will get from him. 

He’s a feast-or-famine type of hitter at the plate, as he’s hit at least 27 home runs in seasons when he’s played at least 149 games, but he hasn’t batted better than .244 in those seasons.

Alvarez did show improvement in the strikeout department, though. After striking out over 180 times in 2012 and 2013, Alvarez only did so 131 times in 2015. 

He brings some big-time pop to the middle of any lineup and is capable of crushing the ball.

However, the Orioles don’t necessarily need Alvarez, who has played first and third base during his career with the Pirates. Baltimore re-signed slugging first baseman Chris Davis this offseason to a seven-year, $161 million deal, per Spotrac, and has third baseman Manny Machado bringing a power bat and a Gold Glove to the hot corner. 

Last year, Machado launched 35 home runs, and the Orioles have Mark Trumbo to complement Davis. Alvarez could be an option at designated hitter but would be rotating with Davis and Trumbo for at-bats there. 

If he is comfortable with not having a set position on the field and in Baltimore’s lineup, then Alvarez could bring even more power to the Orioles as they look to contend for the American League East.   

 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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