Padres Editorial: Was this Yonder Alonso’s Last Season in San Diego?
As most know by now, Yonder Alonso has not played since injury his back on a slide into home on August 31st. Alonso had a previous back injury earlier in the season and the slide only re-aggravated this injury.
Following the injury it became clear that Alonso would miss some significant time but over the last week it has become more likely that Alonso will most likely not play again for the Padres this season. With this in mind, it is now a fair time to assess whether Yonder Alonso may have seen his last game in a Padres uniform.
With the emergence of Wil Myers as a viable option at first base going forward, and the dilemma that is having both Derek Norris and Austin Hedges as viable starting catchers, Yonder Alonso may very well find himself the odd man out following the conclusion of the 2015 season.
While the option, and perhaps need, to trade Alonso is there, the possibility all hinges on whether the Padres can find a suitor for Alonso, whose trade value has been significantly diminished by a poor second half performance this season.
Alonso began his career with the Cincinnati Reds following being selected in the first round with the seventh overall selection in the 2008 draft. Alonso struggled through his first two seasons with the Reds in 2010 and 2011 before being traded to the San Diego Padres along with Yasmani Grandal as part of the Mat Latos trade. In his four seasons with the Padres, Alonso has struggled through both injuries and mediocre play and has never put together a season to his full potential.
Over the first portion of the 2015 season, it seemed like Yonder Alonso was finally living up to his potential at the plate. In April Alonso put up a wRC+ of 126 followed by a wRC+ of 221 in four games in May prior to his injury. He returned in June and put up a wRC+ of 115. Following a good month of June, Alonso’s good season would continue to deteriorate with poor numbers including a wRC+ of 80 in July and 91 in August. Whether it be because of a buildup of injuries or overall poor performance, Alonso has one again come back down to earth after a very promising first half of the season.
Given his lack of power and struggles to stay healthy and on the field, it seems that Yonder Alonso’s value may have reached an all time low following his latest injury. Despite his potentially low value going into this offseason, it seems absolutely necessary that the Padres find some suitor for Alonso regardless of the potential return. The Padres have several other options at first base in Wil Myers, Derek Norris, and Brett Wallace and now would seem to be the time to cut ties with Alonso altogether.
Editorial and Prospect Writer for East Village Times. Twenty-five years young, Patrick has lived in San Diego for his entire life and has been a Padres fan nearly as long. Patrick lives for baseball and is always looking to learn new things about the game he loves through advanced stats.