Going into the draft, the Pirates said they would select the best available player. With the second overall pick, they took Alvarez.

The reason the Bucs publicly announced their plans for the best player, regardless of cost, was the universally panned pick of pitcher Daniel Moskos last year when catcher Matt Wieters was available.

Wieters was recognized as the best available player when the Bucs fooled everyone and used signability instead of talent as their main factor in player evaluation.

Wieters, by the way, was in Erie a couple of weekends ago with the Bowie Baysox. In one game, he demonstrated his power with a three-run homer.

But back to Alvarez.

The Pirates have until Aug. 15 to sign him or he goes back into the draft. Before you feel sorry for them about losing a first-round pick, be aware they won't end up empty-handed.

If the Bucs fail to sign Alvarez, who is rumored to be asking for a signing bonus in the $7 million range, they would receive a compensatory pick next year, which would be the third overall pick.

So, could the Pirates have drafted Alvarez just to satisfy the fan base knowing full well they would not sign a Scott Boras client?

If you look at their recent three-way blockbuster with the Dodgers and Red Sox, the Pirates picked up third baseman Andy LaRoche in the Bay trade. LaRoche, who hit his first homer for the Bucs on Sunday, would seem to be the third baseman of the future. They also have Neil Walker, a former first-round pick, at third base.

Maybe getting LaRoche was a signal that the Pirates won't overpay for Alvarez - which would be a mistake. If that happens, it would allow them to go back to the old method of rating players by price next year.

Of course, being cheap doesn't necessarily equate to years of losing. It just has happened that way in Pittsburgh for the past 15 years.

The Pirates simply can prove they're not being misers by signing the player they drafted in June and continuing with their rebuilding process.