Astros, Alvarez sign $115 million deal

On the day Yordan Álvarez and the Houston Astros finalized a $115 million, sixyear contract, general manager James Click spoke about how much more they expect the slugger to do for this franchise.

“A cornerstone player,” Click said. “It allows us to build the roster around him, build a lineup around him. And that sort of security, both for him and for us as we continue to try to compete for World Series championships is huge, knowing that we’re going to have a player of that caliber anchoring our lineup for the foreseeable future.”

The contract covers 2023 through 2028. The 24-yearold has a one-year deal for 2022 calling for $764,600 while in the major leagues and $304,500 should he be assigned to the minors.

“There’s a lot of hard work that’s gone into it and seeing the fruits of the labor really means a lot,” Álvarez said.

His deal announced Monday calls for a $5 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball.

Twins

Minnesota placed righthander Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list with a strained right groin, yet another health setback for their rotation. Ober became the fifth sidelined pitcher for the Twins among the eight who have started three or more games this season.

Diamondbacks

Arizona agreed to a minor league contract with former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel. The left-hander was recently released by the Chicago White Sox after having a 2-5 record with a 7.88 ERA through eight starts in the final season of a $55 million, three-year deal.