On June 15, 2016, Yordan Alvarez signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a scrawny, wide-eyed International Free Agent out of Cuba. He received a $2 Million Dollar Signing Bonus back in the days when guys like Hector Olivera (who was an adept hitter… of women) got $62.5 Million Dollar Deals. In his initial scouting report, it described him as “an athletic contact hitter who has shown some power.” What an understatement! Yordan Alvarez is now one of the best players in baseball.
It just so happens that Andrew Friedman and the Dodger brass decided that they needed another bullpen piece so they coaxed the Astros into trading Josh Fields to them for one Jordan Alvarez.