Notes: Pedro Alvarez to re-sign with Orioles, play outfield

A few notes for Sunday:

• Pedro Alvarez has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Orioles, and he’s apparently now going to be an outfielder, which is ... weird. It’s hard to imagine him being anything other than a disaster defensively. I wrote late last week about the possibility of him heading to Japan, which apparently won’t happen.
• Last week, I wrote about whether the Pirates should pursue former Giants outfielder Angel Pagan. Well, it turns out they offered him a contract. He also reportedly had a deal with the Orioles, but that fell apart due to trouble with Pagan’s physical. Given the Orioles’ history of having troubles with player physicals, though, I’m not sure I’d read too much into that.
• Travis Sawchik writes about Gerrit Cole’s health, the reasons for his 2016 struggles, and his efforts to get back to his 2015 form.
• Jung Ho Kang is reportedly “hopeful” that he can soon resolve his visa issues and join the Pirates in spring training.