The Twins signed an outfielder Armando Alvarez to a minor league deal, according to a business log on Alvarez’s MLB.com profile page. The deal likely includes an invitation to the big league Spring Training next month.
Alvarez, 30, was selected by the Yankees in the 17th round back in 2016. He climbed the minor league ladder with the club and eventually reached the Triple-A level in 2019. Unfortunately for Alvarez, however, the minor league season was canceled in 2020. and a down season in 2021 resulted in him not making his major league debut in a Yankees uniform. Instead, he opted for major league free agency after the 2022 season and signed with the Giants for the 2023 season. Playing for the Triple-A team in Sacramento, Alvarez has hit the Pacific Coast League’s offensive plate pretty well as he slashed .308/.379/.581 with a wRC+ of 125 in 74 games. He also failed to crack the club’s major league roster, and was transferred to Oakland before the 2024 season.
With the Athletics, Alvarez reached the Triple-A level to the tune of a .315/.407/.560 slash line in 75 games. That performance eventually earned Alvarez his first taste of the big leagues at age 29, and he eventually appeared in 16 games with the A’s over the course of the season. The infielder struggled during his one cup of coffee in the majors, hitting just .243/.282/.270 in 39 plate appearances while playing the corner infield, left field, and second base. That poor performance led to the A’s removing Alvarez from their roster in October, allowing him to opt for major league free agency for the third straight season.
Now, Alvarez is headed to Minnesota to try his hand at the Twins’ infield mix. Carlos Correa, Royce Lewisagain Brooks Lee it seems like he will get the bulk of the playing time at shortstop, third base, and second base respectively when the system is fully healthy. In theory, that should leave the first base available for some combination Jose Miranda again Edouard Julienbut the Twins have expressed interest in helping at the position all winter and as such appear to be open to other options. Alvarez is the second pitcher the club brought to a minor league deal to try to make it to the big leagues, joining the lefty slugger. Mike Ford.
With less than 40 trips to the plate in the majors heading into his 30-year campaign, Alvarez may end up losing out to the Twins’ more established options in the camp battle for the starting job. Even if that happens, though, he’ll still be a solid piece for the club thanks to his versatility and his status as a career .280/.345/.492 hitter at the Triple-A level. Most of Alvarez’s playing time in the minors has come at the hot corner, although he has plenty of experience at first base and has made cameos at key, outfield, and even shortstop throughout his career. That flexibility should be helpful for a Twins club that has many players who have struggled to stay healthy in recent years.
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