June 5, 2008
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MLB.COM — In the months leading up to Thursday’s First-Year Player Draft, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington talked about a new Draft philosophy, about shifts within the scouting department and about more accountability.
Huntington tried to alleviate concerns about signability issues, pointing to an increased Draft budget and a green light from ownership to not shy away from players because of financial demands. And he talked about adding Pittsburgh Pirates-type players.
“The dream scenario,” Huntington explained, “is you get a large-frame athlete with skills, attitude and aptitude.”
If that’s the description, then the Pirates garnered a prototype Pittsburgh Pirate-type player when they used the overall No. 2 Draft in Thursday’s amateur Draft to select standout Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez.
The Rays made Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham the top overall pick of with the preceding selection.
In the day leading up to Thursday’s selection, it became fairly certain that the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Alvarez would ultimately be atop the Bucs’ Draft board, despite Alvarez’s injury-plagued junior season and his reportedly high bonus demands.
“With Alvarez, we look at a guy who can hit in the middle of the order and be a strong lineup presence,” Huntington said one day before the selection. “His injury did hurt him this year, but it is not a concern long-term.”
It’s safe to say that Alvarez’s power potential, and the fact that he is a left-handed hitter — which makes him a natural fit to benefit from the dimensions of PNC Park — piqued the interest of the organization.
Alvarez was consistently mentioned among the top three players available in the Draft, even though he missed 23 of his team’s first 24 games this season. He broke the hamate bone in his right hand in Vanderbilt’s season-opening game against Oregon State.
He rebounded to play the final 40 games of the Commodores’ season and hit .317 with 15 doubles, nine homers and 30 RBIs. While still respectable season-ending totals, Alvarez’s power totals in 2008 were much lower than in his previous two collegiate seasons — a direct result of that early season injury.
However, the Pirates, as well as others who scouted Alvarez, have said they are not concerned about any long-term effects from the injury, and they expect Alvarez’s power to return to at or above-average Major League potential. Also, the hamate bone has been removed from Alvarez’s hand, making the chance of a recurring injury no concern.
Alvarez came into the season after hitting a combined .357 with 40 home runs and 132 RBIs in his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Thursday marked the second time the now 20-year-old Alvarez has been drafted. Three years ago, he was a 14th-round selection by the Red Sox, who offered the native of the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City nearly $1 million to forgo college. Alvarez declined, opting to join the Commodores team.
As a result, Alvarez is now in line for much more than $1 million. With agent Scott Boras representing the corner infielder, reports have emerged that the demands will include a signing bonus of at least $7 million, and possibly a Major League contract.
Those type of financial expectations would fall well above the “slot” figure, which is an amount that Major League Baseball suggests for each pick. To further put Alvarez’s supposed demands in perspective, Mike Moustakas was given a $4 million bonus when Kansas City selected him No. 2 overall last season.
However, despite speculation that the Pirates would be unwilling to meet those types of expectations, management had strongly reiterated that they would pick the best player available regardless of his financial wishes. Making Alvarez their choice was direct proof of that commitment.
“We haven’t been told to take any player off the board, nor are we going to,” Huntington said prior to the Draft.
Alvarez’s stock began rising immediately after that ’05 Draft, following his breakout freshman season at Vanderbilt. He was named Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year before picking up All-American and All-South Eastern Conference honors a year later.
In between, Alvarez also made a splash playing for Team USA. He combined to hit 12 home runs and 73 RBIs in two summers with the national team. He hit .379 and .315, respectively.
The selection of Alvarez marks just the third time in the last 11 seasons that the Pirates have taken a position player with their first-round pick. The last time the Pirates used their top pick to select a third baseman was in 1986, when they made Jeff King the overall No. 1 pick.
Prior to choosing Alvarez, the Pirates selected catcher James Tillman in a special Draft to honor Negro League players who were excluded from playing Major League Baseball. Tillman played for the Homestead Grays, who played in both Pittsburgh and Washington D.C., from 1941-43.
