CLEARWATER — Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made a point to come up to reliever José Alvarado in the visiting clubhouse at Minute Maid Park in the minutes after the team had been eliminated by the Houston Astros in the World Series and tell him that he had no reason to hang his head — he had been an integral part in a magical postseason run.
The future Hall of Fame executive had acquired Alvarado in his first trade as the president of baseball operations for the Phillies in December of 2020. It wasn’t a straight path from there to stardom, but as he began to lean more on his cutter, Alvarado emerged as one of the best relievers in the sport in the second half of the 2022 season.
It was just last June that Alvarado’s future with the Phillies appeared to be in question. He returned from a stint at Triple-A Lehigh and continued to display a lack of control in his first outing back — he walked two batters and gave up two runs in one inning of a June 12 drubbing at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Alvarado’s ERA peaked at 8.36 in mid-June. He was so dominant from there on out that he finished the season with a 3.18 ERA, a remarkable turnaround. He had some peaks and valleys in the postseason, but was a workhorse, appearing in 12 of the 17 games during the postseason.
Armed with a new contract, Alvarado sat down with Phillies Nation for an extensive conversation Friday, just days before he leaves camp to represent Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
Note: All answers were translated by Spanish language interpreter Diego Ettedgui.
On What He Remembers The Most From The 2022 Season
“Honestly, what I remember the most was what I went through,” Alvarado said.
“You know, I was sent down to Triple-A at one point and I when came back, I was a better version of myself. I never looked back. I kept looking forward, keeping my head up. I tried to focus on what I had to do to stay up and keep getting better.”
Was there ever a moment after being optioned to Triple-A if Alvarado wondered whether he would ever be able to reach his ceiling as a Major Leaguer?
“Not really,” Alvarado said. “I was the same Alvarado in the sense that I kept the same work ethic. I went out every single day at Lehigh Valley to do my routine. I never tried to do something different. So honestly, I think it can help any player — with or without experience — because it’s a moment of realization that you have to get better and get yourself together. And it happened for me.
“And I always trusted in the words of the Phillies front office and what they were telling me [is] that they just wanted the best for me.”
How Long Did It Take You To Move On After World Series Loss?
In the days after the Astros hoisted the World Series trophy, quite a bit of time was spent unpacking manager Rob Thomson’s controversial decision to remove Zack Wheeler in favor of Alvarado with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Alvarado entered the game with a 1-0 lead. Four pitches and 450 feet later, Yordan Álvarez had given the Astros what turned out to be an insurmountable two-run lead.
To his credit, Alvarado answered questions both in Spanish and English immediately after his 99 mph fastball turned into the greatest moment in Astros history. He said at the time that he tipped his hat to Álvarez. And his message Friday was pretty similar.
“I turned the page quickly,” Alvarado said. “I didn’t really dwell on that, it’s part of baseball … it’s part of life. I wake up every single day and I thank God for another day on Earth, and I move forward. That’s just the way you have to go about life.”
You don’t have to look far to find an example of a pitcher who gave up a titanic home run in the postseason, and wasn’t able to move on the next season.
Brad Lidge surrendered one of the most famous home runs in modern history off the bat of Albert Pujols in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. Even though the Astros would win the series, Lidge was never the same in Houston. Three years later, he would close out a World Series victory for the Phillies. To many though, he’s still most remembered for being on the opposing end of Pujols’ blast onto the train tracks at Minute Maid Park.
Anything can happen, but from talking to Alvarado both the aftermath of the home run and since, you don’t get the sense that he’s going to have a similar hangover.
On His New Contract
Alvarado would have been a coveted free agent after the 2023 season, but the Phillies inked him to what amounted to a three-year/$22 million deal with a club option for a fourth year in mid-February.
When asked about the deal, Alvarado first reflected on his faith and the life-changing impact the money will have on his family.
“The contract is a blessing and that’s what you work for,” Alvarado said. “I thank God for the talent that he blessed me with. I thank God for this opportunity that he has given me to play baseball, the Phillies too.
“It goes a long way because now I really feel comfortable to be able to help my family … family members that may need my help.”
The 27-year-old was quick to point out, however, that securing generational wealth won’t change his desire to be one of the league’s elite relievers.
“I’m the same person, the contract isn’t going to change who I am,” Alvarado insisted. “I’m still gonna work hard every day. I’m gonna go about my business the same way. I’m gonna follow my routine on the baseball field. It’s on the field and off the field, I’m going to be the same person.”
So the version of Alvarado that posted a 1.85 ERA in 26 games after the All-Star Break in 2022 is what fans can expect moving forward?
“Yes, for sure they’ll see the same Alvarado as the second half of the season,” he said. “I haven’t changed anything about me and my mechanics or anything. So this is it. This is the Alvarado that we’re gonna see. Good or bad, like it or not, here’s the Alvarado that you’re going to see it.”
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