Yadier Alvarez to Dodgers: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

One of the most coveted international free agents in baseball is officially off the market, as the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a contract with Cuban pitcher Yadier Alvarez on Thursday.

According to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, the deal is worth $16 million, although the term has yet to be released.

Alvarez is a 19-year-old righty, and according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, he is capable of touching 99 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.

Landing a prospect of Alvarez's caliber is a major coup for the Dodgers organization, although it is an extremely costly endeavor beyond the $16 million it will spend on his contract, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports:

L.A. hasn't hesitated to throw money around in recent years, and that is especially true when it comes to the international market. The Dodgers have been extremely active in that regard this season since their aggressiveness has paid off in the past. Sanchez noted that along with Alvarez, the team signed outfielder Starling Heredia, the fifth-ranked international prospect. 

Most notably, Los Angeles signed Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig in 2012. Puig has been limited to just 33 games this season due to injury, but he is a career .304 hitter with 38 home runs in 285 career appearances.

There has been plenty of talk regarding Puig's teammates disliking the flashy star as of late, but that didn't stop the Dodgers from dipping into the Cuban pool once again.

Alvarez is rated by MLB.com as the No. 2 international prospect available, so it is easy to understand why L.A. is taking a shot with him despite concerns regarding Puig.

The Dodgers haven't hesitated to roll the dice on somewhat unknown players in the past, and while some of them haven't worked out, Alvarez is a talent worth investing in.  

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