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Red Sox Offseason Press

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I'll bet Alvarez crushes CHONE's .226/.294/.387 projection for 2010.

Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 12/20/2009

If Pedro Alvarez does begin belting balls toward the Allegheny River this summer, as so many expect, someone somewhere is bound to credit the Pirates for having pushed him to upgrade his conditioning in the offseason.

If so, that will tell only part of the story, perhaps a very small part.

Because, to hear from Alvarez and others who have enrolled at the Athletes' Performance Institute in Tempe, Ariz., the motivation to endure, much less embrace API's boot-camp lifestyle -- early to bed, up at 6 a.m., two robust workouts a day, strict dietary monitoring -- must come from within.

"It's pretty intense, pretty much a whole-day ordeal," Alvarez said by phone from Tempe late in the week. "And, in this sport or in anything in life, you can't be motivated by other people. You have to be self-motivated. More times than not, when you're doing something like this, you're by yourself. Not everyone's going to be looking over your shoulder. If you're not motivated, you're just not going to get it done."

He made clear which category he prefers.

"I'm someone who wants to play this game for a long time, someone who's really passionate about it, someone who cares enough to always try the best they can. I decided to do this, and I love it. I love some of the results I'm getting."

Those results are not easily gauged: Alvarez's 6-foot-3 frame is naturally thick, and his weight is down less than 10 pounds from the 235 at which he played most of this past season. But his body-fat ratio is much improved, according to the Pirates' management, as some of his weight is being converted to muscle.

And there is more to come, as Alvarez's twice-daily workouts just began this week and will continue through January. He already has been at API for six weeks, meaning his stay will end up totaling 2 1/2 months. Most athletes are in and out of API in two weeks or so.

The Pirates had been openly critical of Alvarez's conditioning last winter, blaming that mostly on his being idle for eight months during that high-profile contract dispute in 2008. That has turned increasingly into praise in recent months, if somewhat guarded.

"We still have work to do," general manager Neal Huntington said. "But we've seen very encouraging signs."

"I'm very encouraged, especially when you consider that Pedro just completed his first full season of pro ball," director of player development Kyle Stark said. "He's working to develop excellent habits."

Those habits, as well as striking a balance between feeling stronger at the plate and more agile at third base, are Alvarez's stated priorities much more than the number on the scale.

"To be honest, I'm not so concerned about weight loss," Alvarez said. "It's like reading statistics. It doesn't tell everything. I want to be at a point where I feel good, where I still have my power, where I can move better, and where I can keep that going over a full season. I actually need to get to the point where I have a routine 365 days a year, not just playing baseball, but everything."

To that end, he has found advice easily attainable. Several of the game's top prospects currently are attending API, as well as more than a dozen current major leaguers on any given week. Last year, Freddy Sanchez was among them, as were Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox.

"Having all these players here, it makes such a difference," Alvarez said.

Alvarez, who will turn 23 in February, is seen by some as the Pirates' most promising prospect since Barry Bonds, and his dynamic professional debut only enhanced that: After a slow start in high Class A, he ended up with Class AA Altoona and batted .288 overall with 27 home runs and 95 RBIs.

Management plans to start him out with Class AAA Indianapolis next year and, if all goes well, he would arrive in Pittsburgh two or three months into the season.

How does Alvarez feel about that?

"It feels good," he said. "It's an honor just to be able to think that I could be up there with those guys. It's something I've always dreamed of."
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Post by RedSox »

mcbmd2(51763) - Kevin, can you briefly share your thoughts on Brett Wallace (former 3B prospect) vs. Josh Bell, and why you rate one a 5-star and the other 4-star prospect? Thanks for the reports; they're a great read.

Kevin Goldstein BP staff(27460) - Well, upgrade Bell to five first of all, as I had WAY fewer definite Top 50 guys in the end than expected. They're very close in my Top 100.

Marie (San Francisco, CA) - Assuming that both Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner are up in the big leagues, who then would become the Giants' number one prospect?

Jim Callis (2:10 PM) - Zach Wheeler.

Vince K (Pottville PA) - Jim, who would you predict is most likely have a breakout season in 2010? Jay Bruce, Maybin, McCutchen or Des Jennings?

Jim Callis (2:16 PM) - Jay Bruce.

lee (philly) - who has a higher ceiling, Brody Colvin or Kyle Drabek?

Jim Callis (2:25 PM) - Colvin has a high ceiling but Drabek's is higher.

Ackley or Jennings offensively?

Jim Callis (2:50 PM) - Ackley.

mbrignall(1851) - What about Mauricio Robles? I know he's pretty far from the bigs, but trader Jack was really high on him after the trade, and he was pretty good at High Desert.

Kevin Goldstein BP staff(27460) - He was 15-20, and I almost made him the sleeper. Small lefty with HUGE arm, but could be set-up man ceiling.
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