The Phillies avoided arbitration with reliever Jose Alvarado by agreeing to a one-year deal Friday, just before his hearing was set to take place.
The agreement leaves Seranthony Dominguez as the lone arbitration-eligible Phillie the team hasn’t yet come to terms with for a 2023 contract.
Alvarado's deal is for $3.45 million, according to MLB.com. He had filed for $3.7 million while the Phillies offered $3.2 million. Had it gone to arbitration, an arbiter would have ruled for one figure or the other. Instead, the Phils and Alvarado met in the middle.
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The hard-throwing, 27-year-old lefty had a resurgent 2022 season, pitching to a 1.22 ERA with 64 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 37 innings to end the regular season after a two-week stint in the minors in late May. He and Dominguez were the Phillies’ two most trusted relievers in September and in the playoffs. Alvarado allowed just a run in six appearances in the NLDS and NLCS but struggled in the World Series, allowing the game-sealing homer to Yordan Alvarez in Game 6 in Houston.
This season, Alvarado is one of several options for the Phillies at the back end of games, along with Dominguez, Craig Kimbrel, Gregory Soto and Matt Strahm.
The Phillies entered the offseason with six players eligible for arbitration: Rhys Hoskins, Edmundo Sosa, Ranger Suarez, Soto, Alvarado and Dominguez. They avoided arbitration by signing one-year deals for $12M with Hoskins, $950,000 with Sosa, $2.95M with Suarez, $3.925M with Soto and today’s pact with Alvarado.
Alvarado is one of eight Phillies who will miss about half of spring training to participate in the World Baseball Classic. He’ll pitch for Venezuela.