
Dodgers News: L.A. Releases Former Olympic Medalist
Eddy Alvarez, designated for assignment by the Dodgers last week to make room for Heath Hembree on the 40-man roster, has been released by the team, according to their official transactions page.
#Dodgers have released INF Eddy Alvarez.
— MiLB-Transactions (@tombaseball29) September 8, 2022
Alvarez signed as a minor-league free agent last offseason and made a strong showing in spring training, but his time in the big leagues with Los Angeles was unproductive. He batted .160 with a .314 OPS in 27 plate appearances in June, with just four singles to his name.
Alvarez did very well in Triple-A this season, posting a .993 OPS for Oklahoma City with 21 extra-base hits in 215 plate appearances. He will be 33 in January and has just 50 major-league games under his belt.
Alvarez, who grew up in Miami as the son of Cuban immigrants, medaled in speed skating in the 2014 Winter Olympics and then in baseball in the 2020 Summer Olympics held last year. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts touted Alvarez during the spring as helping to “raise the floor” on the quality of Los Angeles’ bench depth, but he never panned out in the big leagues and Jason Martin, the other player Roberts mentioned, has spent the entire season in Triple-A.
"we had some guys who were cutting their teeth and when we were calling on depth it was tough. But to have those guys (Alvarez, Martin) raise the floor — not to say it in a demeaning way — those guys are major-league players." 2/2
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 19, 2022
With Alvarez’s athleticism and success at Triple-A, he will likely get a shot somewhere next year if he wants one. But at least for now, his time with the Dodgers organization has come to an end.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!