MARCH 6: The Giants announced Álvarez’s signing for a one-year, $ 1.15MM contract with a $ 1.5MM club option for 2022, by Maria I. Guardado de MLB.com (via Twitter) The option comes with a $ 100,000 purchase, adds John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) This bonus will count towards the luxury tax, although the year of the option does not. Therefore, Álvarez’s business is expected to account for $ 1.16 million against the luxury tax payroll this season.
MARCH 2: Free Agent Reliever Jose Alvarez is approaching an agreement with the giants, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. It is unclear whether it will be a major league contract.
Left-handed Alvarez, who turns 32 in May, debuted with the Tigers in 2013 and has since launched for the Angels and Phillies. Alvarez struggled to keep races off the board like Tiger, but he did well in Anaheim and Philadelphia. Overall, despite a below average strikeout percentage (20.8), Alvarez recorded a respectable 3.59 ERA / 3.85 SIERA in 340 2/3 major league appearances. He played more than 50 entries in a season on four occasions, although he played only 6 1/3 frames last year as a result of a groin injury.
If his deal with San Francisco is approved, Alvarez could be part of a bullpen that has no shortage of lefties. Jake McGee has been your body’s greatest relief-free agent acquisition but Jarlin Garcia, Sam Selman, Wandy Peralta and Caleb Baragar are also on the Giants’ 40-man list.