Alvarez Gets Wealthy With Devil Rays Pact

The bare concrete at Tropicana Field didn’t faze Wilson Alvarez.

The second big-name pitcher to sign with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays wanted to be a part of a team under construction and doesn’t fear how the final product will look.

The domed stadium where the new A.L. team will play is undergoing extensive renovation, and the front office is busy putting together a roster.

“I could have gone somewhere like Cleveland or New York,” the 27-year-old left-hander said after agreeing to a $35 million, five-year deal. “But I wanted to be here, and be a part of something that’s going to grow.”

Alvarez, who lives in nearby Sarasota, was 13-11 with a 3.48 ERA with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants last season.

Paul Molitor of the Minnesota Twins is expected to play elsewhere in 1998, which could be his final season.

Ron Simon, Molitor’s agent, said Molitor probably will sign with either Toronto or Baltimore by Monday.

Seattle Mariners pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report Feb. 14 for the team’s 22nd spring training camp in Arizona, with their first workout the following day.

The Boston Red Sox have re-signed pitcher Jim Corsi to a one-year deal with an option for 1999.

The Cleveland Indians hired Al Bumbry as their first base coach for the 1998 season.

The Toronto Blue Jays hired 16-year major league veteran Gary Matthews to be their hitting coach.

Steve Hamilton, 63, a 6-foot-7 reliever who pitched in two World Series for the New York Yankees and played in the NBA championship finals for the Minneapolis Lakers, died of cancer in Morehead, Ky.