Infielder Alberto joins Dodgers on 1-year deal
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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After he dealt with visa issues over the past week, the Dodgers signed versatile infielder Hanser Alberto on Wednesday. The Dodgers will pay Alberto $1.6 million in 2022, and the deal includes a club option for '23.
Following a long day of travel on Tuesday that began in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and ended in Phoenix via Miami, Alberto joined his teammates for Wednesday¡¯s workout. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Alberto could make an appearance in a Cactus League game as soon as Thursday.
¡°Talked to [Royals manager] Mike Matheny about him,¡± Roberts said. ¡°Over-the-top makeup. Just a consummate professional, so he¡¯s going to be very additive to our ballclub.¡±
Alberto, 29, hit .270/.291/.402 in 103 games with Kansas City during the 2021 season. He saw time at third base, shortstop and second. With the Dodgers, Alberto is expected to assume a similar role. His right-handed bat off the bench is also a necessity for Los Angeles.
¡°I know that he¡¯s a really good defender,¡± Roberts said. ¡°I think we can move him around the diamond. That¡¯s added depth, which is good.¡±
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To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated first baseman Matt Beaty for assignment. The move is a bit surprising given that Beaty has been part of the Dodgers¡¯ bench over the past three seasons. He had a 107 OPS+ last season, which is slightly above league average (100).
But the decision to DFA Beaty ultimately came down to the first baseman not having any options. The Dodgers also have the likes of Edwin Rios and Jake Lamb, who are stepping up as left-handed-hitting options on the bench. Adding Freddie Freeman also eliminated a path for Beaty to get starts at first base.