Former heralded pitching prospect Yadier Alvarez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Minor League camp, remaining with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. That looked to be on the verge of changing when the Dodgers designated Alvarez for assignment late last week.
That came the day after the soon-to-be-24-year-old was scratched from a scheduled relief appearance due to arm/shoulder trouble. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained after the loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that Alvarez was unable to get loose when warming up in the bullpen.
The next morning Roberts still did not have details of what was ailing Alvarez, but explained he was poised to undergo testing. Hours later the Dodgers reinstated Alvarez from the restricted list and immediately designated him for assignment.
He was the fourth Dodgers player to suffer that fate since the end of the 2019 season. Casey Sadler was traded to the Chicago Cubs, Kyle Garlick was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, and Tyler White was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City and invited back to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee after clearing waivers.
The Dodgers inked Alvarez to a $16 million signing bonus on the first day of the 2015-16 international signing period. Though, their total investment in the Cuban native was double that amount because of a tax penalty for exceeding their international signing pool that year.
Alvarez was among the Dodgers prospects named to the 2017 MLB Futures Game, and the highest level he has reached with the organization thus far is Double-A Tulsa (2017, 2018, 2019). Lack of command continue to be a point of weakness for the hard-throwing righty.
Then last season there were behavioral issues that prompted the Dodgers to place Alvarez on the restricted list and remove him from their 40-man roster. When he arrived in camp at Camelback Ranch, Alvarez acknowledged he acted immature and vowed to be more professional.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our live shows, and more!
