Astros’ Yordan Alvarez agrees to historic contract extension with Houston: report

Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez is about to be paid, reportedly agreeing to the largest contract ever for a player who is primarily in the lineup as a designated hitter. 

Alvarez, the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year winner, is coming off a career year in 2021 and a postseason in which he was named MVP of the ALCS. 

The contract extension is reportedly for six years, $115 million, according to ESPN. The extension will pay Alvarez $26 million per year in the three years after he was scheduled to be eligible for free agency, and is the fifth-largest contract for a pre-arbitration player. 

In 2021, Alvarez was stellar, hitting .277 at the plate with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. During last year’s ALCS against the Boston Red Sox, Alvarez hit .522 with 12 hits in 23 at-bats, adding a home run and six RBIs in the series. 

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Through 45 games of the 2022 MLB regular season, Alvarez is hitting .272 with 31 RBIs and 14 home runs, which is tied for third in all of Major League Baseball. The Astros are currently in first place in the AL West, sitting at 33-18 and 6.5 games up on the second place Los Angeles Angels. 

In other MLB news, the Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi on Friday, after the team struggled to a 22-29 start to the 2022 MLB season. Phillies bench coach Rob Thomson has been named interim manager for the remainder of the season. 

Girardi was in his third season as manager of the Phillies. He ended his career in Philadelphia with an overall record of 132-141.