I completely understand that we need Alvarez the hitter more than Alvarez the LFer, but he does have a >1.000 OPS when playing LF and a <.900 OPS when DHing. Plus having him available in the field does allow a rotation of the DH, if used properly.
Especially at his size.... and it is not just his height, he is very wide too. I am a pretty big guy and when I stood next to him his frame was clearly wider than mine. With hard work, weight control and some luck he can hit well into his late 30's or longer.... but if he adds even 5 lbs a year, he could break down quick.
It's a smart move for Alvarez. He gets a big pay day and protects his downside in arbitration. He will also still hit free agency at 30 to get another big contract. Look at what happened to Correa in arbitration. He came up at the same time as Lindor. Correa won ROY and Lindor was 2nd. However, Lindor stayed healthy the following years. Correa received 5 million, 8 million, and 11.7 million in arbitration. Lindor received 10.85 million, 17.5 million, and 22.3 million in his arbitration years. Correa made 24.7 million in arbitration compared to Lindor's 50.65 million. Plus Lindor got the mega contract and Correa had to take a short deal. Injuries can crush your earnings in arbitration and beyond. Lock in the 9 figures and go for another bag at age 30....
Roughly 2023 7M 7M 2024 8M 10M 2025 10M 15M 2026 25M 26M 2027 30M 26M 2028 30M 26M Signing Bonus 5M - 5M CLOSE ~19M AAV 19,166,667 AAV
Every time one of these deals gets announced, people question the player. Yordan is officially life changing, never work another day, stupid rich now. If he stays good and outperforms, he'll make even more money when the time comes. Thanks to pragmatic leadership by Luhnow, Click and Crane, the window remains wide open. Just keep kicking the can down the road a little further every year.
This is a good deal for both sides on a young DH with a great bat. It is a steal for the Astros if he can handle 1st base or left field for the length of the contract.
I like the old trade indicating he was a 1B prospect at the time. With healthy knees, he may still work out at 1B long term.
Great news! Aside from a nice salary bump, Yordan's injury history probably made him more inclined to sign this deal.
