Alonso trade strictly ‘baseball deal’
All in the White Sox family.
Despite Yonder Alonso being the brother-in-law of marquee free agent Manny Machado, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he had no ulterior motive to the acquisition of Alonso from the Indians.
“Fundamentally, this is a baseball deal,” Hahn said Saturday during a conference call to elaborate on the the trade of Alonso for minor-league outfielder Alex Call. “We feel this makes us better. We feel Yonder fits in between the lines, in the clubhouse and helps further what we’re trying to accomplish in 2019 and beyond.
“The potential ancillary benefits to it, in terms of relationships with others, really can’t be part of pulling the trigger and making the decision to acquire a bigleague player — especially a veteran one with this type of contract commitment.”
Hahn never mentioned Machado or Bryce Harper, the other major free agent on the market, by name. But it’s no secret the Sox are pursuing each star player, despite the club having lost 100 games in 2018 and facing stiff competition from well-financed teams.
Nevertheless, the trade late Friday created some curiosity because Machado is married to Alonso’s sister — and Alonso, 31, plays the same position as slugger Jose Abreu, who is entering the final year of his contract.
But Hahn insinuated Abreu and Alonso can coexist, adding that Abreu was happy with the trade and that he and Alonso are friends who exchanged text messages Friday night after they learned of the deal.
“We feel (Alonso) provides a nice balance in our lineup and has nothing but a great reputation in terms of his game preparation, his professionalism and the element of veteran leadership that he will add to our clubhouse,” Hahn said.
“We envision both he and Abreu getting the bulk of the (at-bats) between first base and the (designated hitter) spots. How that exactly breaks down will be a managerial decision and something Ricky (Renteria) can get into more detail with … over the course of the season as things evolve.”
Alonso’s contract includes an option for 2020 — for $9 million or a $1 million buyout — that vests automatically if he has 550 plate appearances in 2019 or a combined 1,100 plate appearances in 2018-19. Alonso had 574 plate appearances in 2018, batting .250 with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs.
“We do view him as a nice fit over the both the 2019 and 2020 season,” Hahn said.
Meanwhile, Hahn said Daniel Palka, who smacked 27 home runs and drove in 67 runs during his rookie season, could play more in the outfield.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Palka started 40 games as the DH, 40 in right field and 22 in left last season and has worked this offseason to get in better shape to play the outfield, Hahn said.
“I know Daniel, at 27, doesn’t want to be a fulltime DH,” Hahn said. “He still believes he can contribute on the defensive side.”
The Sox and Indians started discussing Alonso only after Hahn and the Sox’s contingent left the winter meetings in Las Vegas on Thursday. The Sox had been interested in Alonso since his college days at the University of Miami in 2006-08. The Reds selected him with the seventh pick in the 2008 draft — one pick ahead of Gordon Beckham.