Pittsburgh Pirates News: Team Fails to Sign Henderson Alvarez

Last week it was reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates had signed for National League All-Star pitcher Henderson Alvarez. However, that deal did not come to fruition.

So far the 2020 season has not been kind to the pitching staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last week, it appeared the team had signed former Miami Marlin All-Star pitcher Henderson Alvarez. However, that deal has fallen through.

The ‘other pitcher’ that Alvarez referenced could be right Nick Tropeano. Last Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Tropeano off waivers from the New York Yankees.

It is also possible that the Alvarez deal fell through due to medical concerns. There were a lot of concerns around Alvarez’s health prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates signing him. This included other teams being hesitant to sign him due to injury issues.

Alvarez has not pitched in the Majors since 2017. In 2017, he posted a 4.30 ERA and a 6.36 FIP in 14.2 innings pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies. These 14.2 innings of work came in three starts.

His 2017 season came after he missed all of 2016 due to shoulder issues. In 2015, with the Miami Marlins, Alvarez logged just 22.1 innings of work in four starts. This included being the team’s Opening Day starter. However, due to inflammation in his shoulder and elbow his season ended quickly.

Prior to the start of the 2019 season, Alvarez signed with the Washington Nationals. However, he never threw a MLB pitch with the Nats. After making 24 appearances, four of which were starts, at the Triple-A level, the Nats released him in July.

Moving forward, we wish Alvarez all the best with his baseball career. Hopefully, he will be able to find his way back to MLB soon.