Pirates tap Vandy 3B Alvarez in the draft
PITTSBURGH — For years now, the Pittsburgh Pirates haven't gotten the baseball draft right. They're convinced that drafting Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez will BE the first step to changing that.
Alvarez, one of college baseball's top power hitters, was chosen No. 2 overall by the Pirates Thursday despite concerns about a hand injury and their ability to sign him.
Although a broken bone caused a drop-off in Alvarez's power numbers this season, there is much about Baseball America's top-rated prospect for the Pirates to like. He had 49 homers and 51 doubles in 170 career college games and hit 40 homers his first two seasons.
The Pirates also like this: He's a left-handed hitter who should fall in love with PNC Park's hitter-friendly 320-foot right field foul line.
"Short porch," Alvarez said, laughing, when asked during a conference call what he knows about the ballpark.
The 21-year-old Alvarez had a .349 career average at Vanderbilt after turning down an estimated $1 million signing bonus from the Red Sox as a 14th-round pick out of high school.
"He's got a nice stroke," Pirates scouting director Greg Smith said. "The ball comes off his bat very well. He takes a professional approach, uses the whole field. You watch him take batting practice and he works to left field, left-center, across the field. He's an advanced college hitter."
There was a surprise waiting In the second round: Tanner Scheppers, a Fresno State right-hander who was projected in some pre-draft forecasts to go in the upper half of the first round. He was 8-2 with a 2.93 ERA and throws his fastball in the 92-95 mph range.
Coincidentally, consultant Chuck Tanner, the team's former manager, was chosen to officially announce the Pirates' picks at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
In later rounds, the Pirates took another Fresno State pitcher, left-hander Justin Wilson (7-4, 4.17 ERA), after choosing college shortstops Jordy Mercer of Oklahoma State and Chase D'Arnaud of Pepperdine. They grabbed their first high school player with their final pick of the day, outfielder Robert Grossman of Cypress-Fairbanks High in Texas.
Choosing Alvarez signals a change in draft philosophy for the Pirates, who devoted eight of their 10 most recent first-round picks to pitchers — many of whom later developed major arm problems. They hadn't drafted a third baseman on the first round since No. 1 pick Jeff King in 1986.
Also, Alvarez is represented by agent Scott Boras, whose clients the Pirates have directly or indirectly avoided in the past, including catcher Matt Wieters a year ago.
Boras is expected to ask for a signing bonus of $7 million, or $3 million more than was paid last year's No. 2 pick, shortstop Mike Moustakas of Kansas City, plus a major league contract that would guarantee Alvarez additional money.
"That isn't a huge issue," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said.
