Mar 14, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Venezuela relief pitcher Jose Alvarado (46) reacts after winning the game against Nicaragua at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Sam Navarro
If you were wondering whether José Alvarado is still disgusted about insurance issues preventing him from pitching for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, wonder no more.
The Phillies lefty reliever spoke to El Extrabase Friday, and if you speak Spanish (and perhaps even if you don't), you'll be able to tell below how upset Alvarado is about not being able to represent his country:
José Alvarado fue negado por el seguro para participar en el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol.
El zurdo venezolano no se guardó nada cuando le preguntamos sobre esa situación.
La entrevista completa en YouTube: https://t.co/21ZZ1b13CY#ElExtrabase⚾️🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/gSOP2CqL1j
If you don't speak Spanish, no problem, OnPattison had a Spanish speaker interpret it. (Remember, interpretations aren't perfect.)
Interviewers: "We know that you had selected your walk-up song and that you had the visions of wearing the Venezuelan jersey on your chest. Manager Thomson said that you were healthy. Also, everything you had to sacrifice last year to play in the tournament, as Venezuelan manager Omar Lopez stated.
Alvarado: "Like I told you, the insurance is a piece of shit. I do not care how others that are listening to this are going to look at it. But I am talking about my country and the hunger that I had to compete with the name of my country on my chest. Because that is a dream that every kid has, you know, and that they do such a shitty thing to you, it's a piece of shit. I had to sacrifice what I had to go through last year. Because if I had appealed the 80-game suspension, I could have faced a 162-game suspension and missed the World Baseball Classic. Basically, based on what they they told me, my career could have been ruined. And now, they come and do this shitty thing to me. If you look at the US or Japan roster, how many players were on the injured list last year?
"There is no reason, you know. I don't care how they will look at it, this is coming from my heart because I am hurting for my country and it hurts me not being able to be with my teammates. With that balls that I have, I am going to repeat it again, the insurance is a piece of shit."
Alvarado has previously pitched for Team Venezuela in 2017 and 2023, and you can tell how important it was for the 30-year-old to do so for a third time. Who knows if he'll still be pitching at a high level in four years. Even if he is, it's fair to wonder if the insurance issues — which OnPattison's Grace Del Pizzo outlined in great detail — will be different then.
From the Phillies perspective, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise. An 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension and a left forearm strain limited Alvarado to just 28 games a season ago. The upside of Alvarado setting up for Jhoan Duran was too high to pass up, so the Phillies picked up his $9 million club option for 2026 anyway. But Alvarado is a bit of a wild card entering this season, and the Phillies might be better off bringing him along a little more slowly in Spring Training, as opposed to him trying to throw 102 mph for his country in March.
Clearly, though, Alvarado is distraught that he won't be pitching for a Venezuelan team that has the ability to compete with the United States, Japan and the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic title.
