Former Miami Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez signed a one-year contract with the Oakland A’s worth approximately $4 million with “big incentives,” according to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan.
Alvarez confirmed the deal on Instagram:
Alvarez has had an up-and-down career, culminating with a four-start 2015 season that ended in July after he underwent shoulder surgery. The 25-year-old was Miami’s Opening Day starter after a 12-7 2014 season that landed him an All-Star nod.
Here is a look at his career numbers:
Alvarez has certainly shown he has the talent despite a less-than-stellar win-loss record. His career 2.29 K/BB ratio would have been 27th in baseball last year, and his 1.288 WHIP would have been 22nd. During his 2014 season, he tied the St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright for most shutouts in the National League with three.
While those are decent numbers, there is no evidence of consistency, which is something the A’s hopefully took into account. Alvarez made 30-plus starts in 2012 and 2014 but no more than 17 in his other three seasons. He is 21-21 in his two seasons with 30-plus starts and just 6-13 during his injury-plagued years.
Of course, Alvarez had the misfortune of playing for a Marlins team that did not win more than 77 games in his three years with the team, which has most likely undervalued his stock.
While a shoulder injury of this magnitude is a concern, the 25-year-old is young enough that he could bounce back, and his best days are hopefully ahead of him. If Alvarez stays healthy, he could return to his All-Star form and be a great pickup for Oakland.
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