Dodgers Surprisingly DFA $16 Million Cuban Pitcher Yadier Alvarez
By Sean Facey
In a strange twist of events, the Los Angeles Dodgers have cut ties with an expensive young pitcher.
Cuban right-hander Yadier Alvarez was designated for assignment on Saturday after he was reinstated from the restricted list. He had previously signed for $16 million.
The #Dodgers reinstated Yadier Alvarez from the restricted list and then designated him for assignment. So this is how the story ends. Pretty bizarre. Cuban RHP signed for $16 million. Was supposed to pitch Friday and was scratched.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) February 29, 2020
He was initially placed on the restricted list for unexcused absences from the team.
The 23-year-old was once regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the league. In fact, Baseball Prospectus had him listed as the No. 43 overall prospect prior to the 2018 season.
But he never pieced it together. He posted a 4.02 ERA across his four seasons in the minor leagues, and allowed six runs in just under four innings of work in Double-A last year.
Today. the #Dodgers reinstated Yadier Alvarez from the restricted list and then designated him for assignment.
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) February 29, 2020
Alvarez simply never panned out for the Dodgers. He struggled to keep things straight off of the field, and when he was on the field, he couldn't live up to the hype.
Whether or not another team is willing to take a shot on him remains to be seen, but the Dodgers have decided that it's time to move on.