Alvarez Would be Great Consolation Prize

The Yoan Moncada sweepstakes are going to end very soon and while Milwaukee Brewers have expressed their interest and have a pressing need for third basemen, they will more than likely lose out on the bidding. But that doesn’t mean that they have no other options on the international market.

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com is reporting that the Brewers are not only in on Moncada, but they have also shown interest in 18-year-old phenom, Yadier Alvarez. Though Moncada would be a franchise-changing addition, getting an arm like Alvarez would be just as big.

Though he is just a young kid at 6-foot-three and 175 pounds with room to grow, Alvarez already has rocket-arm that can simply blow batters away. Already throwing three plus pitches, Alvarez has a fastball that can frequently touch 98 and a slider that is just as good. He impressed so much at during his showcase this past week that one NL scout was prompted to say that ‘he was the best 18-year-old pitcher he had ever seen.’ Praise like this gives him a high ceiling that is unmatched by any prep arm.

The biggest drawback to an Alvarez signing is that he has yet to pitch really at any professional level. Were they to make a move to sign him questions would quickly emerge. How will he do against advanced hitters? Can he be counted on to eat innings as a big league starter?  Though he has great tools, pitching to major and minor league batters will be a different hurdle to climb before he gets even remotely close to pitching in Miller Park. Given his age and lack of experience he would still probably begin in the lower levels of the minor leagues and take years to progress.

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Getting Alvarez would be tricky, pricey and a gamble considering that he is so unproven and unknown, but it is a move that the Brewers certainly need to consider. Recently the Arizona Diamondbacks signed pitcher Yoan Lopez to a $8.25 million dollar signing bonus, and Alvarez’s limitless talent will undoubtedly receive an even bigger one.

The Brewers system has been improving for years, and a move like this would push them over the top. Coming into the system with a ceiling that is through the roof, he would immediately become the team’s top prospect.  Players with the potential of Alvarez do not come around very often and if the Brewers could somehow be able to sign him to a deal he would be the best consolation prize that money can buy.