Phillies News: 4 offseason decisions Dave Dombrowski wishes he had back
By Tim Boyle
3) The Phillies will regret their Jose Alvarado extension
Jose Alvarado landed himself a three-year extension this offseason. Signed through 2025 with a team option in 2026, it looks like a pricey deal for a reliever who won’t even close games.
Alvarado made some huge strides last season. He dropped his ERA from 4.20 down to 3.18 and improved his walk rate from 7.6 per 9 down to 4.2 per 9. His strikeout totals went up as well. As good as he was, Alvarado remains a fireballer capable of imploding.
Once the Phillies landed Gregory Soto in their trade with the Detroit Tigers, the thought of extending Alvarado should have been put on hold. The two pitchers bear a resemblance. The Phillies must be confident Alvarado’s improvements in 2022 will continue into the 2023 season and beyond. Otherwise, they’re about to start cutting large paychecks for a wild southpaw who pitches the seventh and eighth inning for them regularly.
The Alvarado contract won’t set the Phillies back. It’s not a ridiculous amount of money. However, when we look around the league at other free agent lefties, it feels like a few million too much for a guy who hasn’t yet proven himself.
The Phillies are paying Alvarado the kind of money they would have to if he put together another awesome season in 2023. Why not wait a little longer and be sure they’re doing the right thing?