Oakland Athletics: Yonder Alonso expresses desire to stay with team
Despite talk about the trade deadline and free agency, breakout star Yonder Alonso says he’d love to remain with the Oakland Athletics.
You might think Yonder Alonso is pricing himself out of a return to the Oakland Athletics in free agency, but the slugging first baseman is apparently interested in staying with his current club beyond 2017. According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Alonso discussed his affinity for the green and gold.
“I think that there is a great chance that I stay here. I really do mean that. The guys they have, the young core that they have, are all guys I can relate to. . . . A lot of players here say, ‘I want to play well here, do well and get out.’ I actually want to play well, do well and stay here.”
Alonso has been one of the true breakout stars of the 2017 season. After posting a modest .269/.334/.387 slash line over his first seven seasons while averaging six home runs and 34 RBI, the 30-year-old has experienced a power surge this year. Alonso is batting a mighty .306/.398/.645 with 17 homers and 37 RBI in 57 games. Eleven of those long balls have come in the spacious confines of Oakland Coliseum.
There is a growing trend among some players of trying to hit the ball in the air more in an effort to increase power output. Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson is a prominent advocate of this approach, and Alonso appears to be the latest success story. His fly ball rate has soared from 33.3 percent to 51.9 percent since last season.
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It certainly seems to be working. Alonso has already hit nearly as many home runs in 2017 as he did in the previous three seasons combined.
Of course, the decision to stay in Oakland may be taken out of Alonso’s hands before he even reaches free agency at season’s end. With the A’s largely out of the playoff race, Alonso could be a significant trade chip for them to play at the deadline. Though Rosenthal points out that the Royals’ Eric Hosmer could cut into Alonso’s market, he would have to be an appealing option for any team seeking power, a first baseman, or both.
As much as Alonso says he enjoys playing in Oakland, hitting the open market will also come with its own realities. If he finishes the season in strong fashion, he should be a popular name among the free agent class. The A’s, of course, rarely give out big, long-term contracts. That means Alonso would likely have to take significantly less to stay in Oakland.
It’s easy to talk a loyal game now, months ahead of time, but when you actually have that decision in front of you with all the financial details, the story often changes. For now, Alonso can only focus on continuing to swing a hot bat.
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Is he a mirage or a legitimate late bloomer? His .331 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) and 24.3 percent HR/FB (home run to fly ball) rate will be difficult to sustain. However, though uncommon, there have been players to successfully follow Alonso’s path to a career reinvention. Perhaps he is the next Donaldson or Jose Bautista. We’ll just have to wait and see – as well as keep an eye out for which uniform he does it in.
Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs.