Tigers sign former SF Giants reliever José Álvarez to milb contract

Former SF Giants left-handed reliever José Álvarez has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Marc Delucchi | Mar 24, 2023

Tigers sign former SF Giants reliever José Álvarez to milb contract /

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The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a minor-league contract with former SF Giants left-handed pitcher José Álvarez, according to the minor-league transactions tracker. Álvarez was a mainstay in the Giants bullpen from 2021-2022 but underwent UCL surgery late last season, right before hitting free agency. With such ill-timed injury luck, Álvarez was unable to ink a big-league contract.

SF Giants relief pitcher Jose Alvarez (48) delivers pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers. (2022) — SF Giants reliever José Álvarez pitches against the Brewers. (2022) / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

Álvarez was been one of the most consistent relievers in MLB from 2015-2021. Between the Angels, Phillies, and Giants, Álvarez posted a 3.15 ERA in 410 appearances, never recording an ERA above 3.88 in a single season. Despite that consistency, the southpaw had the best year of his career in 2021 with the Giants. He recorded a 2.37 ERA in 67 games (64.2 innings pitched) with a 3.15 FIP.

Slated to be one of the top southpaws in the Giants bullpen last season, Álvarez struggled mightily. His normally consistent command wavered, leading to the worst walk and home run rates of his career. In 21 appearances before he was placed on the injured list, he recorded a 5.28 ERA.

The usual recovery time from UCL surgery spans 10-16 months. According to a report by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Álvarez will not appear in a game this season but will rehab with the Tigers. Presumably, Álvarez's deal spans through the 2024 season, when he would compete for a spot in Detroit's bullpen.

The Tigers, of course, have some organizational familiarity with Álvarez since former SF Giants general manager Scott Harris was hired as Detroit's president of baseball operations last offseason. Harris has brought several players acquired during his tenure with the Giants to Detroit, and left-handed reliever José Álvarez is the latest.

Published Mar 24, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).