The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with 19-year-old Cuban pitching stud Yadier Alvarez, a right-hander who has been clocked as high as 99 mph. The deal, expected to be worth about $16 million, could be announced in the next few days.
Alvarez is seen as a very athletic pitcher whose fastball jumped from the low 90s to the high 90s, and he could become a top-of-the-rotation starter. The Dodgers continue to make a big mark in Cuba, where they are throwing their financial weight around. The new signing period begins today, and Alvarez could be one of the first to go.
The Dodgers earlier signed the great hitting third baseman Hector Olivera even though they already have Justin Turner and Alex Guerrero, who are both hitting up a storm.
