Jorge Alfaro of the Boston Red Sox reacts during the second inning of a Spring Training Grapefruit League game against the Houston Astros on March 4, 2023 at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. Alfaro opted out of his Red Sox contract June 1 and signed with the Colorado Rockies on June 10. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
By Julian Guilarte
World Baseball Network
Catcher Jorge Alfaro, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies on June 10.
The terms of the contract were not disclosed. Alfaro signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox and was a non-roster invitee to spring training.
Alfaro earned a roster spot on the Red Sox triple-A affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox. The Colombian also had a good showing for Colombia in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, hitting one home run with an OPS of .800 in three games. Alfaro also played for Colombia in the 2017 WBC.
Alfaro took advantage of his time with Worcester with a .887 OPS in 43 games. He had 6 home runs and 30 RBI during that stretch. Alfaro exercised his first opt-out on June 1st, which gave the Red Sox two days to put him on their 40-man roster. They elected not to do so and he became a free agent.
Alfaro signed with the Texas Rangers in 2010 as an international free agent, and his $1.3 million deal was a record for a Colombian prospect at the time. Alfaro was in the Rangers minor league system for five years before he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015 among the players sent to the Phillies for starting pitcher Cole Hamels.
Alfaro made his MLB debut on September 12, 2016 with the Phillies. Going into the 2017 season, Alfaro was ranked as the 72nd best prospect in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. Alfaro got a brief chance in 2017, playing 29 games with the Phillies and hitting five home runs.
In 2018, he played 108 games and had an OPS of .731. Alfaro’s defense stood out that season. He threw out the third most base stealers with 21 and was ranked fourth in framing according to Baseball Prospectus.
In the offseason of 2019, Jorge Alfaro was traded to the Miami Marlins as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade. Alfaro hit 18 home runs with an OPS of .736 in 2019 and had 11 passed balls. His defensive struggles continued in the shorten seasoned of 2020 with four passed balls in 31 games.
In 2021, the Marlins moved Alfaro to left field, where he played 21 games. Alfaro hit four home runs in 295 at-bats with an OPS of.625 In the offseason he was dealt to the San Diego Padres for cash considerations and a player to be named later.
Alfaro hit eight home runs in 274 at-bats and was non-tendered by the San Diego Padres last offseason. Alfaro has a career OPS of .701 in seven seasons and has never lived up to the hype offensively.
With the Rockies, he could potentially carve out a role as their backup catcher or get some at-bats as the designated hitter if all goes well. Alfaro would have to be added to the 40-man roster.