Alvarado signed a three-year, $22 million extension ahead of the 2023 season. The $9 million club option for 2026 included a $500,000 buyout, though it didn’t seem likely Philadelphia would go that route. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said as much a few weeks ago. Alvarado’s performances over the past few seasons would have made him one of the most enticing lefty relievers on the market. The Phillies will keep him at a relative bargain.
Alvarado and his 99 mph sinker had solid results this past season. He had a strong strikeout rate of 28.1% while showing impressive control. Alvarado’s 6.1% walk rate was the best of his career. It was his first year under 11% since his MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2017. Alvarado’s 2.96 xFIP and 2.87 SIERA suggest he outperformed his 3.81 ERA. Perhaps the only factor that would put picking up his team option into question was an 80-game PED suspension handed down in mid-May. Alvarado returned to the club for eight appearances before going down with a forearm strain. Due to the suspension, he was ineligible for the postseason, although he may have been unavailable anyway due to the injury.
Philadelphia acquired Alvarado via trade in December 2020. The three-team deal sent a fellow lefty reliever Garrett Cleavering from the Phillies to the Dodgers. Alvarado pitched a 4.20 ERA in his first year with the team, with an unsustainable 18.7% walk rate leading to uneven results. The following season, he took command as his strikeout rate exploded. Alvarado struck out 37.9% of batters in 2022, the best mark of his career to date. A career-worst .340 batting average on balls in play pushed his ERA to 3.18, but a SIERA of 2.37 was more representative of his dominance that season.
Alvarado had his best season from a run prevention perspective in 2023. He posted a career-best ERA of 1.74 over 41 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters hit just .195 against Alvarado. He maintained a strikeout rate over 37% while reducing his walk rate to 10.5%. Alvarado entered the final mix more regularly that season, earning 10 saves after totaling just seven in his first two years with the team.
During the 2024 campaign, Alvarado set a new career high with 13 saves. He topped the 60-inning mark for the first time since 2018. However, the strikeout numbers were disappointing, with Alvarado striking out just over one batter per inning. His 4.09 ERA was supported by a 3.83 SIERA. Alvarado allowed two earned runs in his lone postseason appearance, against the Mets in the NLDS.
Philadelphia acquired John Duran at the 2025 trade deadline to serve as a closer. Alvarado will be in the setup mix Matt Strahm And Orion Kerkering for the coming season. The Phillies ranked 20th in bullpen ERA last year, though they were 11th after the addition of Duran.
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