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Yadier Álvarez Ventosa (born March 7, 1996) is a Cuban former professional baseball pitcher.
| Yadier Álvarez | |
|---|---|
 Álvarez with the Great Lakes Loons | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 7, 1996 Matanzas, Cuba | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Álvarez defected from Cuba to pursue a career in Major League Baseball (MLB).[1][2] At the time, he had a fastball that touched 98 miles per hour. Scouts believed he had number two starter upside and one National League official said that he was the best 18-year-old pitcher he had ever seen.[3] He received interest from numerous MLB teams including the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.[4][5]
Ranked as the second best prospect by mlb.com heading into the 2015 international signing period, Álvarez signed with the Dodgers on July 2, 2015, for a $16 million bonus.[6][7] He made his professional baseball debut for the Dodgers Arizona rookie league affiliate on June 20, 2016, and struck out seven while only allowing one hit in 3+2⁄3 innings pitched.[8] In five starts for the team, he was 1–1 with a 1.80 ERA and 57 strikeouts.[9] He was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League and struck out 10 in his debut for the Loons on July 21, 2016.[10] He made nine starts for the Loons with a 2.97 ERA and 55 strikeouts in only 39+1⁄3 innings.[11] In 2017, he was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League and chosen to represent the world team at the All-Star Futures Game.[12]
Álvarez began 2017 with the Quakes and was promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers at mid-season. Between the two leagues he made 18 starts (and three relief appearances) and was 4–6 with a 4.68 ERA.[13] He returned to Tulsa in 2018 and was selected to represent the Drillers at the mid-season Texas League All-Star Game.[14] In 17 games (eight starts), he went 1–2 with a 4.66 ERA.[15]
The Dodgers added Álvarez to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.[16] He returned to Tulsa to begin 2019, but he only appeared in two games, allowing six runs in 3+2⁄3 innings.[13] He spent the rest of the season on the minor league injured list before the Dodgers placed him on the restricted list for disciplinary reasons.[17] Álvarez reported for spring training in 2020 with a chance to work his way back into the Dodgers plans but was scratched from his first spring appearance due to health issues and was designated for assignment the next day.[18] He did not pitch again until late in the 2021 season, when he pitched 3+2⁄3 innings over three games on a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. He allowed three runs to score on three hits and a walk while striking out seven.[13] In 2022, he played for the Oklahoma City Dodgers in AAA, appearing in 23 games and allowing 17 earned runs in 24+2⁄3 innings for a 6.20 ERA.[13] He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.
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