Padres Rumors: Yonder Alonso’s Instagram post signals he’s back

Yonder Alonso spent four years with the Padres, and per his Instagram account, he is back with the team. Is he primed for the DH role?

Once a highly-touted prospect of the Reds, Yonder Alonso was part of a five-player trade that sent Mat Latos to Cincinnati. Alonso was considered to be one of the best first base prospects in the game, projected to start ahead of Anthony Rizzo during the 2011 offseason.

After Alonso was acquired, the Padres traded Rizzo to the Chicago Cubs – and I would bet they’d like a re-do on that one – but the former held his own during the 2012 season. Alonso finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a .273/.348/.393 line with nine home runs and 62 RBI in 155 games.

Most figured the home runs would increase as he physically matured, and they did, but it was with the Oakland Athletics during the 2017 season when he hit 22 long balls and six more with the Mariners that season.

Now 33, Alonso had a cup of coffee with the Indians, Rockies, White Sox, and Braves. If you recall, the White Sox signed Alonso in an attempt to lure his brother-in-law, Manny Machado, to the southside. Who knew it would be the opposite, am I right?

At this stage of his career, Alonso is likely to serve as the Padres DH. They’ve had a difficult time getting production from that spot in the batting order, although I personally would like to see the team give Edward Olivares more opportunities.

Last year, Alonso was primarily a pinch-hitter for the Rockies, posting a .837 OPS with seven doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI.

As noted, while we no longer have the luxury of watching the pitcher strikeout, the Padres haven’t been able to fully maximize their use of the DH, as Tommy Pham has the most starts (6) from the spot. Greg Garcia, Josh Naylor, and Abraham Almonte all have three starts there, but both Naylor and Almonte have been optioned to the team’s alternate training site.

Truth be told, I don’t expect much from Alonso as the Padres DH. He could very well have a career resurgence, but if not, I doubt the Padres invested much in him financially. He’ll be able to spell Eric Hosmer at first base from time to time, which is important and likely signals that Jake Cronenworth will be getting more regular starts at second base.

And throughout his career, Alonso has hit righties well, with a .266/.341/.755 line (105 OPS+). He also has a career .355 and .274 average at Dodger Stadium and Petco Park, respectively.

UPDATE:

It’s official, and Alonso will reportedly begin at the team’s alternate training site.