The Dodgers have an agreement in place to sign utilityman Hanser Alberto, per Robert Murray of FanSided (via Twitter). Junior Matrillé (via Twitter) first broke news of the deal as a Major League contract with a club option for 2023. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter) seconded the club option, confirming that the Dodgers will have two years of team control over Alberto. Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers locked into their pursuit of Alberto after missing out on Josh Harrison, who signed with the White Sox.
The 29-year-old right-handed batsman began his career with the Rangers after signing as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers in 2015. Regular playing time eluded him, however, until landing with the Orioles for the 2019 season. The versatile defenseman spent two years in Baltimore before playing last year with the Royals.
While Alberto has been a borderline starter the past couple of seasons, he will transition to a clearer bench role with the Dodgers. That said, manager Dave Roberts certainly utilizes his bench, and there’s no shortage of injury history on the Dodgers’ roster. Last year, Alberto slashed .270/.291/.402 over 255 plate appearances, falling in line with his history as a contact-first, low-walk-rate bat with a glove capable of shifting all over the diamond.