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Brewers Sign Josh Donaldson To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers have signed Josh Donaldson to a minor league deal, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The third baseman will report to Triple-A Nashville. By joining the organization prior to September 1, he will be eligible to play for the Brewers in the postseason.

Donaldson, 37, spent almost a decade one of the best third basemen in the league but has fallen on hard times of late. From 2013 to 2021, he hit 241 home runs and slashed .272/.373/.514 for a wRC+ of 141, indicating he was 41% better than the league average hitter in that time. But after being traded from the Twins to the Yankees prior to 2022, his production started to fall off. Last year, he hit .222/.308/.374 for a wRC+ of 98. His strikeout rate jumped to 27.1%, after being at 19.8% in that aforementioned stretch of excellence.

This year, he has hardly been able to take the field. He has twice gone on the injured list, first due to a right hamstring strain and then a right calf strain, only getting into 34 games on the season. He hit 10 home runs in that time but slashed just .142/.225/.434. He suffered through a tiny .076 batting average on balls in play in that time but his strikeout rate remained high at 26.7%.

He most recent IL stint began in mid-July, meaning he’s been out of action for about six weeks at this point. He was ramping up lately and nearing a rehab assignment but the Yankees released him earlier this week, giving him a chance to catch on elsewhere as they use the remainder of their lost season to get a look at younger players. Donaldson has now found that new chance with the Brewers.

Milwaukee has been using Andruw Monasterio as its primary third baseman in recent months, but he has cooled off lately. He was hitting .288/.369/.410 through August 14 but just .149/.216/.149 in his past 13 games. Brian Anderson has also seen some time at the hot corner but has experienced a similar cooldown. He was hitting .229/.317/.373 when he landed on the injured list in July due to a lower back strain. Since returning earlier this month, he’s hit just .150/.190/.250. Donaldson could also possibly nudge Carlos Santana, who has hit .219/.281/.419 since being acquired by the Brewers, from some time as the designated hitter.

Perhaps the Brewers will add Donaldson to their roster and try to catch lightning in a bottle to improve their output at third. Donaldson’s overall results haven’t been great but he’s still been good on defense and he won’t be able to sustain that tiny BABIP going forward. Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 tomorrow but Donaldson will need a 40-man spot if the Brewers decide to add him. Since he was set to go on a rehab assignment anyway, perhaps he goes to Nashville for a few days to get back into game shape.

The Brewers are currently atop the National League Central but the Cubs and Reds are within three and six games, respectively. For now, they are taking a no-risk look at Donaldson to see what form he’s in and if he can help them with their playoff push or maybe in the playoffs themselves. If they add him to the roster at any point, they will only owe him the prorated league minimum, since the Yanks are on the hook for the majority of what remains of his contract by releasing him.

Brewers Considering Josh Donaldson

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The Brewers are “considering” free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson after his recent release from the Yankees, per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Donaldson was on the 60-day injured list at the time of his release but is reportedly healthy and was expecting to return to the roster in September. If the Brewers do sign Donaldson, they’ll only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster or injured list.

Donaldson, 37, was traded from Minnesota to New York alongside Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt prior to the 2022 season, with Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela heading back in the other direction. His tenure with the Yankees hasn’t gone as they hoped, to say the least. Injuries limited the former AL MVP to 132 games last year and just 34 games this season, and even when healthy, Donaldson’s once-potent bat has faded. In 666 plate appearances as a Yankee, Donaldson slashed .207/.293/.385 — including a .142/.225/.434 output in 120 plate appearances this season.

Rough as Donaldson’s overall numbers this year may be, his glovework at third base has continued to grade well into his late 30s, and he’s popped 10 home runs in just 120 plate appearances. With rosters set to expand from 26 to 28 players tomorrow and Donaldson available for the minimal cost possible, the Brewers could at least take a short look to see how Donaldson fares in the wake of his most recent calf strain — the injury that’s sidelined him since July 20 (and an issue that has plagued him on multiple occasions in recent years).

Third base has been a weak spot for the Brew Crew of late, with previously hot-hitting rookie Andruw Monasterio’s bat cooling and veteran Brian Anderson also wilting after a strong start to the season. Brewers third basemen have posted an awful .188/.250/.260 slash during the month of August, giving Donaldson — or any other potential addition/call-up — a rather low bar to clear in the season’s final month.

Brewers Sign Greg Allen; Acquire Chris Roller From Guardians

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The Brewers have made a couple of moves, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Outfielder Greg Allen has been signed to a minor league contract and outfielder Chris Roller has been acquired from the Guardians in exchange for cash. Both players will report to Triple-A Nashville for now but are eligible to play for the Brewers in the offseason by joining the organization prior to September 1. Roller was eligible to be traded after the deadline since he hasn’t been on a 40-man roster this year.

Allen, 30, began the year with the Red Sox on a minor league deal but was traded to the Yankees in May. The Yanks added Allen to their roster but he landed on the injured list after just 10 games due to a right hip flexor strain. He returned about six weeks later and played in 12 more games before being designated for assignment and electing free agency.

It was the seventh straight year in which Allen got a part-time gig in the big leagues, having bounced from Cleveland to San Diego, Pittsburgh and the Bronx over the years, never reaching 300 plate appearances in any one season. He’s hit .231/.300/.340 in that time, which translates to a wRC+ of 74. But thanks to his speed, he’s been able to steal 48 bases in 57 attempts and play all three outfield positions with strong grades for his glovework.

Roller, 26, is a somewhat similar player. A 30th-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2017, he went to the Guardians in the Triple-A portion of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. Since then, he’s taken 768 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A with a .214/.325/.341 batting line, which translates to a wRC+ of 81. However, he’s stolen 34 bases in 45 tries, including going 13 for 17 this year.

Rosters expand from 26 to 28 in September, which gives clubs more leeway to deploy specialized players. Many teams around the league use the extra roster spot to have an extra speed-and-defense player on the bench. Neither Allen nor Roller are on the roster just yet, meaning they are outfield depth for the time being. But by joining the organization prior to September 1, they could be options for the Brewers over the next month and even into the postseason. Since they are not on the 40-man, they will have to be granted a commissioner’s exemption to replace an injured player in October, but that’s not seen as a meaningful obstacle.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Ohtani’s Torn UCL, Free Agent Power Rankings and Stephen Strasburg to Retire

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Would the Brewers be a good fit for Pete Alonso? (21:10)
  • What will the Cubs do at first base next year and could Alonso be a fit? (24:50)
  • Could Alonso fit on the Twins? (26:35)

Check out our past episodes!

  • The White Sox Fire Their Front Office, Injured Rays and Prospect Promotion Time – listen here
  • Pete Alonso’s Future, Yankees’ Rotation Troubles and Should the Trade Deadline Be Pushed Back? – listen here
  • The Streaking Mariners, the Struggling Angels and Injured Aces – listen here

Tigers Claim Bennett Sousa From Brewers

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The Tigers announced that they have claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off waivers from the Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. They already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster after recently outrighting infielder Isan Díaz. The Brewers had not previously announced that Sousa was removed from their roster, so their 40-man count drops to 39.

Sousa, 28, was a 10th round pick of the White Sox in 2018 and was with that organization until the start of this year, but the past six months have been fairly tumultuous for him. He was designated for assignment in February, went to the Reds on a waiver claim, then to the Brewers in a cash deal in April. He served as an up-and-down pitcher for Milwaukee before landing on the injured list in June due to left shoulder nerve irritation, only getting reinstated a few weeks back.

Amid all of that, he’s only made two major league appearances this year. He also made 25 for the White Sox last year but has a career earned run average of 9.00 in his 23 innings between those two campaigns. But in his larger sample of minor league work, he’s shown a capability to get both strikeouts and ground balls, though also with a fair share of walks. In 17 innings for Triple-A Nashville this year, he had a 4.76 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 58.5% ground ball rate. In 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Charlotte last year, he posted a 3.95 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 51.5% grounder rate.

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris recently hinted that the club’s open roster spot would be used for an external addition rather than for calling up a prospect from within the system. It seems that Sousa is that move, though he’s been optioned to Toledo for now, providing the club with some left-handed relief depth. With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 when the calendar flips to September, the club will still have to decide who gets those active roster spots. Sousa can still be optioned for the rest of this year and one additional season.

Injury Notes: Dodgers, Devers, Manning, Houser

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided a host of injury updates this afternoon regarding various relief options for the club as LA hurtles toward their eleventh consecutive playoff appearance, as relayed by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. While right-hander Tony Gonsolin will not be an option for the club down the stretch this year, Roberts provided updates on a pair of relievers who could still impact the club in 2023: right-handers Joe Kelly and Yency Almonte.

Kelly threw a bullpen session recently but is still struggling with pain in his elbow, per Roberts. The veteran righty, who threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings with the Dodgers after joining the club at the trade deadline alongside Lance Lynn, went on the injured list earlier this month with elbow inflammation. According to Roberts, Kelly is expected to return in time for the postseason but there is “a chance he’s not gonna be 100%” when he does. Almonte, meanwhile, has a clearer timeline, with Roberts indicating that the 29 year old is two to three weeks from a return from his knee injury.

Most interesting for Dodgers fans will surely be Roberts’ comments on right-hander Walker Buehler, who’s aiming to return from Tommy John surgery before the 2023 season comes to a close. Buehler hasn’t started a rehab assignment, but Plunkett relays that Roberts still believes Buehler’s long-stated goal of returning to the big league mound for games in September is still on the table, with the manager indicating that the club is planning on Buehler to return to the majors toward the middle of the month. While Roberts notes that Buehler’s stuff is in good shape, his command “hasn’t been good” and is something “he’ll have to work through” on his coming rehab assignment.

Healthy returns to the mound from Kelly, Almonte, and particularly Buehler would substantially deepen the club’s bullpen ahead of the postseason. While the Dodgers have been nothing short of dominant of late with just four losses in August, the club’s bullpen is a potential weak point, ranking roughly middle-of-the-pack in the majors with a 3.83 ERA and having been leaned on for the more innings than any NL bullpen besides those in Cincinnati and San Francisco.

More injury notes from around the league…

  • Star Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers underwent x-rays on his wrist after being hit by a pitch during last night’s game against LA and struck from the lineup this afternoon. Fortunately, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic relays that those x-rays came back negative, per manager Alex Cora. Cora added to reporters that Devers could return to the lineup as soon as tomorrow, depending on how the slugger is feeling. That’s surely a relief for Boston, as the 26-year-old infielder is perhaps the club’s most important and consistent players. Devers is in the midst of another season right in line with his career norms; since his breakout campaign in 2019, he’s slashed .288/.351/.529 with a 19.7% strikeout rate and a 131 wRC+. In 530 trips to the plate this season, Devers has essentially replicated that line, slashing .272/.347/.516 with a 18.7% strikeout rate and a 127 wRC+.
  • Tigers right-hander Matt Manning is preparing to make his next start on Wednesday after exiting his last start with lower back tightness. With that being said, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press indicated yesterday that Manning actually making his start on Wednesday is not a guarantee. Per Petzold, manager AJ Hinch told reporters that the club will “see how the next couple of days are” regarding Manning’s health before determining whether or not he’ll make his start. Petzold suggests right-hander Spencer Turnbull and left-hander Joey Wentz could be options to take the ball on Wednesday should Manning, who sports a 3.93 ERA in 13 starts with the Tigers this season, require a trip to the shelf.
  • Brewers righty Adrian Houser departed today’s start against the Padres after just two innings, having allowed four runs on four hits and a walk. Milwaukee indicated that Houser’s early exit was due to what the club termed “minor forearm tightness.” As relayed by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Houser downplayed the injury’s seriousness in conversations with reporters, indicating he expects to make his next start after taking some time off to rest. Houser’s next start would line up for Saturday against the Phillies, though with a day off on Thursday Milwaukee has the ability to give Houser additional rest without using another starter, should he need it.

NL Central Notes: Ashby, Fulmer, Senzel, Zuniga, Naile

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Aaron Ashby underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder back in April, which threatened to keep the Brewers southpaw out of action for the entirety of the 2023 season.  However, Ashby is set to hit an important checkpoint in his recovery, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Ashby will throw a live bullpen session this week, and possibly be in line to start a minor league rehab assignment next weekend.  The rehab assignment is likely to be pretty lengthy given Ashby’s long layoff, though since he’ll almost certainly be brought back as a reliever, he won’t need quite as much work in rebuilding his arm strength.

Moving to a bullpen role will help Ashby’s chances of pitching before the season is over, and it potentially gives Milwaukee an intriguing relief weapon down the stretch.  Ashby has worked as both a starter and reliever over his first two MLB seasons, posting a 4.47 ERA, 57.8% grounder rate, 27.1% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 139 innings in the big leagues.  The Brewers were impressed enough to lock Ashby up to a five-year contract extension last year, and while the lefty is a big part of Milwaukee’s future, the Brew Crew also hope he can contribute to their present push for the division title and some October success.

Other items from around the NL Central…

  • The Reds explored trading Nick Senzel prior to the deadline but couldn’t find a deal, and thus Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks Senzel might not be tendered a contract this winter.  Senzel is arbitration-eligible for a second time and wouldn’t be hugely expensive to retain (he has a $1.95MM salary in 2023), but the larger issue is that the Reds seem to have moved on from the former top prospect in favor of their new crop of standout youngsters.  Injuries have plagued Senzel throughout his career, and he has hit only .236/.301/.364 over 1307 career MLB plate appearances since debuting during the 2019 season.  The Reds even demoted Senzel to the minors two weeks ago before recalling him again when Joey Votto went on the IL.  In regards to his future in Cincinnati, Senzel said he is just focused on trying to help the team win, and that “I’m not going to be pessimistic about any situation.  I’m optimistic wherever the game takes me.”
  • The Cubs placed Michael Fulmer on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a forearm strain, a particularly concerning injury for a pitcher with a lengthy history of arm problems.  Manager David Ross and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy spoke with reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times) about Fulmer’s injury, saying that he had been trying to pitch through discomfort, with the team trying to accommodate the issue with some extra rest in between bullpen outings.  “It wasn’t something we were like, ’Oh my gosh, if we pitch him, we’re in trouble.’  It was stuff we were monitoring,” Hottovy said.  “It’s no different than what we do with a lot of guys.  But he’s been grinding for a few weeks.”  Fulmer will undergo tests on his forearm, but the hope is that some extended rest in the form of an IL stint can get him back onto the mound soon.
  • Speaking of forearm injuries, the Cardinals placed right-hander Guillermo Zuniga on the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain of his own.  The placement is retroactive to August 25, and right-hander James Naile was called up from Triple-A Memphis to take Zuniga’s roster spot.  Zuniga has been up and down from Memphis a few times this season, and he also spent time on the minor league IL in June.  The hard-throwing righty has thrown two innings over two appearances for St. Louis, which marks the first Major League experience of Zuniga’s career.

Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio Discusses Counsell’s Future, Relocation Rumors

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Brewers principle owner Mark Attanasio met with the media (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) this afternoon prior to tonight’s game against the Padres. He discussed a pair of the major off-the-field storylines surrounding the club headed into the stretch run this year: the future of manager Craig Counsell, who entered the final year of his contract without an extension earlier this year, and rumors from earlier this month that the club could begin exploring relocation as soon as this fall.

Regarding Counsell, Attanasio provided a noteworthy update, telling reporters that he met with Counsell yesterday and the pair decided to put conversations about a potential extension off until after the 2023 campaign concludes. When further pressed on the matter, Attanasio said (per Rosiak) that “It’s up to Craig. We’d love to have him here, obviously, for a jillion reasons.”

That the Brewers would love to keep Counsell hardly registers as a surprise. The longest-tenured manager in the NL, Counsell is currently in his ninth season with Milwaukee. The 52 year old sports a 686-612 record as manager of the club, including a 552-447 record since the start of the 2018 season that saw the club come within a game of the World Series. While Counsell has never won a Manager of the Year award, he’s still widely considered to be among the very best managers in the game, with three second-place finishes to his name. As the club’s winningest manager in history, Counsell piloted the club to four consecutive playoff appearances from 2018-2021, and after a near miss in 2022 appears poised to bring the Brewers back to the postseason in 2023, as the club leads the NL Central with a 71-57 record.

As the conversation shifted toward the relocation rumors, spurred by a funding dispute regarding improvements to the club’s ballpark, Attanasio downplayed the likelihood of the Brewers leaving Milwaukee. “Look, me, Debbie, our family, we very much want to stay. That’s all I’ve considered at this point.” Attanasio told reporters. He also noted that his goal is to “keep the team [in Milwaukee] for another generation” while citing state politicians who have discussed extending the club’s lease, which currently runs through 2030, through 2050.

Even as Attanasio expressed his desire to stay in Milwaukee, however, he emphasized the club’s desire for additional funds for ballpark renovations. When asked about the A’s planned move out of Oakland to Las Vegas, he noted that while American Family Field isn’t “anything close to Oakland’s” in terms of need for improvements, “you have to look forward and plan so it doesn’t deteriorate over time… the lease runs out in 2030 and it takes years to plan. So, I think just the timetable is such that we have to have these types of discussions.”

Attanasio’s optimism that a deal will be worked out is understandable, given the end of the club’s lease in Milwaukee is still seven years away. For comparison, the A’s began pursuing relocation in earnest back in 2021, three years before their lease at the Coliseum expires at the end of the 2024 season. That gives the sides plenty of time to work out a deal before more relocation becomes a more serious threat.

Brewers Sign Fernando Abad To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers have signed left-hander Fernando Abad to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Nashville.

Abad, 37, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in the offseason and was selected to their big league roster twice, though both instances saw him get designated for assignment after a short period of time. He appeared in six games for the Rox with a 4.26 ERA. His 30 1/3 innings in Triple-A this year have resulted in a 3.86 ERA, with Abad striking out 27.8% of hitters while walking just 2.6%. But he allowed nine earned runs over his last five appearances and got released last week.

This is Abad’s 11th season seeing some time in the majors, having previously suited up for the Astros, Nationals, Athletics, Twins, Red Sox, Giants and Orioles prior to joining the Rockies this year. He has a 3.78 ERA over 406 appearances in that time, with a 19.3% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate and 41.7% ground ball rate.

The Brewers have operated for parts of this season with Hoby Milner as their only left-handed reliever, with various attempts to deploy a second lefty having gone poorly thus far. The club acquired Andrew Chafin prior to the deadline and has also given brief showings to Ethan Small, Clayton Andrews and Bennett Sousa. Amazingly, none of those four have an ERA south of 11.81 for the Brewers this year. Each case is a small sample of 5 1/3 innings or less, but it’s still a part of the roster that’s a bit shaky at the moment.

By bringing Abad aboard, the Brewers will add some veteran non-roster depth for their lefty relief mix. By joining the organization prior to September 1, he will be eligible to pitch for the Brewers in the postseason, if they were to qualify and he were to earn his way into a role. Rosters expand from 26 to 28 in September, which could perhaps open a spot for him, though he would need to be added to the 40-man roster.

Brewers, Cubs Among Teams To Discuss Pete Alonso With Mets Before Deadline

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The Mets’ retool was one of the defining stories of the trade deadline. While it became clear in the weeks approaching August 1 that rentals like Tommy Pham and David Robertson would be on the move, New York’s course of action with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander remained a mystery until the weekend before the deadline.

In the wake of trading the future Hall of Famers to AL West rivals, Mets’ brass indicated they were prepared to take a step back in 2024 while focusing on the longer-term future. Owner Steve Cohen has expressed his hope the club will be competitive next year but forecast a quieter offseason than the franchise has had in the past two winters.

The club’s less certain intentions for ’24 have raised some questions about Pete Alonso’s future. The three-time All-Star has one more season of arbitration eligibility. Even if the Mets aren’t rebuilding, there’s an argument for them to pick a clear direction regarding Alonso — either by trading him to a clearer contender or working to get an extension wrapped up.

[Related: What Path Should The Mets Pick With Pete Alonso?]

Last week, the New York Post’s Mike Puma wrote the Mets had floated Alonso’s name in trade talks prior to the deadline. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic shines some light on those discussions, reporting that the Brewers and Cubs were among the teams in contact with New York brass. Rosenthal suggests talks between the Mets and Milwaukee had more traction than conversations with the Cubs, though it isn’t clear how close New York got to a deal with any team.

Asked about Rosenthal’s report following the Mets’ loss in Atlanta tonight, Alonso reiterated to reporters that he “(loves) being a Met (and) representing the city of New York” (via Tim Healey of Newsday). The star slugger unsurprisingly didn’t provide specifics about the chances of an extension, noting he “(doesn’t) know what the future holds.”

If the Mets were to seriously consider moving him next offseason, Alonso would quite likely be the best hitter on the trade market. He’s one homer away from reaching 40 for the third time in his four 162-game seasons (and was on a similar pace during the shortened schedule). Alonso’s .224 average and .325 on-base percentage are narrowly career-low marks, though it’s possible his rate production was deflated by injury.

He sprained his left wrist on a hit-by-pitch in June, an injury that was initially expected to cost him three or four weeks. Instead, Alonso returned within 10 days. He hit just .155/.277/.366 between his return and the All-Star Break. Since the Midsummer Classic, he has a characteristically excellent .262/.359/.623 batting line.

Alonso is playing this season on a $14.5MM salary. That figure could push north of $20MM for his final arbitration season. That’s a notable sum but still below market value for an impact bat of Alonso’s ilk. The one year of remaining control would likely prevent the Mets from recouping a Top 50-caliber prospect in a trade, but there’d still be plenty of interest around the league.

Last winter, the Blue Jays shipped Teoscar Hernández to the Mariners before his final arbitration season. Hernández was a bit cheaper than Alonso will be — he eventually lost his hearing and is making $14MM — but wasn’t quite as good a hitter. Over the three seasons preceding the trade, Hernández hit .283/.333/.519. Alonso owns a .256/.341/.523 line going back to 2021 while playing his home games at a more pitcher-friendly environment.

It stands to reason the Mets would look to top the Jays’ return for Hernández. Seattle sent three seasons of club control over an above-average reliever (Erik Swanson) and a minor league pitcher (Adam Macko) whom Baseball America ranked the #10 prospect in the Toronto system after the trade. If another team acquires Alonso over the offseason, they’d be able to make a qualifying offer the following winter to partially backfill some of the prospect value they surrendered.

Each of Milwaukee and Chicago could check back in with the Mets about Alonso’s availability, though they certainly wouldn’t be the only teams with interest. Milwaukee acquired Carlos Santana to man first base down the stretch. He’s an impending free agent, while Rowdy Tellez seems likely to be non-tendered.

The Cubs have used Cody Bellinger and Jeimer Candelario — both of whom are impending free agents — at first base since the deadline. They already parted ways with Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini earlier in the year. Prospect Matt Mervis is having an excellent season in Triple-A but scuffled in a 25-game MLB debut this summer. Even if the Cubs consider Mervis a likely everyday player going into ’24, they could certainly kick him over to designated hitter to accommodate a player of Alonso’s caliber.

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