Alford signed a minor-league contract with the Guardians on Tuesday.
Alford elected to become a free agent after he was designated for assignment by the Pirates on April 24, and he will now join the Guardians organization and report to Triple-A Columbus. In 49 games in 2021 with the Pirates, Alford posted a .233/.311/.406 slash line with five homers, 11 RBI and five stolen bases. The outfielder has only appeared in two games this season, notching one hit in four at-bats.