The Chicago White Sox are bringing some Olympic talent to the organization.
The White Sox signed U.S. Olympic short-track speed skater Eddy Alvarez to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday. The 24-year-old was a standout high school shortstop in Miami and also played one season of college ball at Salt Lake Community College in 2011. The walk-on posted a .303 batting average in addition to being named to the all-conference team before he shifted his focus to speed skating.
Alvarez helped the United States capture its only speed skating medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, winning the silver in the 5,000-meter relay, but he’s always been interested in pursuing a career in baseball.
“Playing pro baseball has definitely been a goal of mine,” Alvarez said during an interview with People in February. “There were times when I thought of dropping skating completely and just focusing on baseball.”
While Alvarez is ready to live out his dream on the diamond and hang up his skates, he isn’t completely ruling out a return to the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.
“Right now it looks like skating is done for me,” he says. “I’m ready to move on. But if baseball doesn’t work out and I still have that itch for skating, I may be back.”
Alvarez already has reported to Glendale, Ariz., where he is working out with the White Sox.
Photo via Twitter/@CSNChicago
