On June 3, 2022, his contract was picked from Triple-A when infielder Edwin Rios suffered a right hamstring injury. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers placed Kevin Pillar on the 60-day disabled list, thereby terminating his time in Los Angeles.
Alvarez appeared in 14 games for the Dodgers on limited duty, was designated for assignment in August 2022, and has not returned to the majors since.
Until Monday.
The Boston Red Sox traded Alvarez, 34, to the New York Mets for cash. The trade was reported in the team’s transaction record; later Monday, the Mets acquired Alvarez’s contract, returning him to the majors for the first time since his stint in Los Angeles ended.
Alvarez has 142 plate appearances in 50 career major league games, all with the Dodgers and Miami Marlins, and a slash line of.183/.262/.262. Alvarez, who is best known for his defensive versatility and speed on the basepaths, has played every position in the majors except catcher and first base.
The Mets are dealing with the loss of former All-Star Jeff McNeil, who fractured his hand on a hit by pitch Friday. He informed reporters in New York that he will not return until the Mets make a deep playoff run.
That makes no difference to Alvarez, who is ineligible for the postseason because he was not in the Mets’ organization on September 1. He was only eligible for trade because he was not on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster.
However, players with major league experience are rarely traded after September 1. The Mets are in a unique situation, competing with the division rival Atlanta Braves for the third and final wild card place in the NL. With McNeil down, Alvarez can give more depth and variety.
From 2000 until 2006, Alvarez’s brother, Nick, played in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
In 2021, Alvarez won a silver medal with the United States baseball team in Tokyo. It was his second Olympic silver medal, following his 5,000-meter speedskating win in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
Alvarez, a Miami native, has made 1,855 Triple-A plate appearances in his career. He’s slicing.277/.381/.467 in the best minor leagues.
