Photo Credit: Ed Delany, MMO
Monday afternoon in Port St. Lucie brought about another round of cuts, including prized catching prospect Francisco Álvarez. According to Tim Healey, fellow C Nick Meyer, OF Carlos Cortes, RHPs Yennsy Diaz, Jose Rodriguez, Antonio Santos, and LHP Josh Walker were also among the cuts.
Álvarez showed out in camp this March, as MMO’s Michael Mayer wrote. Drawing rave reviews from manager Buck Showalter, amongst others in uniform. The 20-year-old backstop exhibited an explosive bat, highlighted by a mammoth 441-foot bomb in front of another MMO contributor, Alexis Farinacci.
It’s yet to be determined which level the future lineup mainstay will begin in 2022, but his 31 HR and 96 RBI over his first 484 minor league bats are nothing to bat an eye at. Consider that Álvarez played the majority of those ABs at nearly four years younger–a bright future awaits.
Of the others reassigned to minor league camp, Meyer went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts and Cortes 2-for-10. On the pitching side, Walker appeared twice, striking out four over his four innings of work. Rodriguez worked a scoreless inning in his only appearance, while Diaz and Santos did not get the call during this year’s official spring training games.
