Yonder Alonso

CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Reds tonight announced they have signed to a Major League contract 2008 first-round draft pick Yonder Alonso. He will report to the club's spring training facility in Sarasota.
The junior first baseman from the University of Miami was selected with the seventh pick overall in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"Both sides are happy we could come to an agreement," said Reds Senior Director of Scouting Chris Buckley. "Yonder is a polished college player and an advanced hitter who performed at the highest level. He's one of the top players ever to come out of Miami, which has produced a lot of baseball talent."

Buckley added, "We did our homework when we drafted him. Some of our baseball people were very close to his family. We believe we made the right choice when we selected him, and we hope he has a long career as a Cincinnati Red."

During the regular season Alonso hit .373 with 15 HR, 51 RBI and 8 stolen bases for the Hurricanes and was ranked by Baseball America as one of the best prospects in the country.

As a freshman at UM he led the club into the College World Series with a team-best 69 RBI. The next season he hit .376 and led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 18 HR while recording 74 RBI and 57 runs scored. That sophomore year he also ranked second in the ACC with a .519 on-base percentage an .705 slugging percentage.

The native of Cuba was drafted out of Coral Gables (FL) High School by the Twins in 2005

Alonso Terms

Baseball America:
Posted Aug. 15, 2008 11:12 pm by John Manuel
Filed under: Signings

The Reds did get Yonder Alonso done, and it’s a major league contract as reported earlier. Terms: $2 million bonus, $4.55 million guarantee on the MLB contract.

Alonso, Sulbaran and Fairel make for a very impressive final week and cap off what looks to be a pretty impressive crop - finalizing a deal with Yorman Rodrigues would make it nothing short of amazing.

I will be interesting to see who makes it to the bigs first from this class. I think it will be next and next between Alonso and Stewart, but I'll give the edge to Zach.

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Originally Posted by mbgrayson

Alonso Terms

Baseball America:
Posted Aug. 15, 2008 11:12 pm by John Manuel
Filed under: Signings

The Reds did get Yonder Alonso done, and it’s a major league contract as reported earlier. Terms: $2 million bonus, $4.55 million guarantee on the MLB contract.

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If Alonso makes it to the bigs by the trade deadline 2010, that won't be that bad. If they use him in a deal, that will mitigate it some too.

USA Today has the AP report. . .

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...08179481_x.htm

By Joe Kay, AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI — First baseman Yonder Alonso from Miami, the seventh overall pick in the amateur draft, agreed to a $4.55 million, five-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds shortly before baseball's midnight deadline on Friday.
Alonso's contract runs through 2012, includes a $2 million signing bonus. Alonso was the second pick from the draft to get a major league deal - Baltimore gave one to pitcher Brian Matusz, the fourth overall pick.

Besides the signing bonus, Alonso gets a $50,000 salary for the rest of this season, $400,000 next year, $500,000 in 2010, $600,000 in 2011 and $1 million in 2012. If he is eligible for salary arbitration after 2011, he can void the 2012 salary.

Alonso also will be invited to the Reds' spring training in 2009 and 2010.

The major league contract was part of Cincinnati's compromise. The Reds have nine players eligible for free agency after the season, so there will be room for Alonso on the 40-man roster.

"We think he'll be ready quickly," assistant general manager Bob Miller said. "And the other issue is we have a lot of free agents. We actually have some room. If it had been a really, really tight roster, it would have been much more difficult."

On the day he was drafted, Alonso said he was eager to get to Cincinnati and meet outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, two of his favorites. Both were traded before Alonso signed with the team.

Alonso joins a team that is already developing a core of left-handed hitters. Joey Votto, a 24-year-old rookie, plays first base and bats left-handed, as does rookie outfielder Jay Bruce.

Alonso hits so well that the Reds couldn't pass him up. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 18 homers as a sophomore last year, batting .376 with 74 RBIs. As a junior this season, he hit 21 homers, drove in 66 runs and batted .370.

The last time the Reds failed to sign their top draft pick was 2001, when left-hander Jeremy Sowers chose to go to Vanderbilt. Sowers, the 20th overall pick that year, had insisted on $3 million to sign, but the Reds offered less than half that.

Also Friday, the Reds signed 16-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Yorman Rodriguez.

Joey Votto. Welcome to LF.

Or another organization.

If Yorman, Alonso, Juan Duran live up to there names then this team will be pretty amazing in a few years.

C- Devin Mescarasco
1st- Yonder Alonso
2nd- Brandon Phillips
SS- ?
3rd- Joey Votto? He's athletic enough to play 3rd.
LF- Juan Duran
CF- Y. Rod
RF- Jay Bruce

This is a blurb from Fay:
He'll report to Sarasota. He won't play in any games for two or three weeks because he hasn't played in so long.
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Who is still playing in 2-3 weeks.....could it be LOU? or a Sept. call up

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Originally Posted by Degenerate39

If Yorman, Alonso, Juan Duran live up to there names then this team will be pretty amazing in a few years.

C- Devin Mescarasco
1st- Yonder Alonso
2nd- Brandon Phillips
SS- ?
3rd- Joey Votto? He's athletic enough to play 3rd.
LF- Juan Duran
CF- Y. Rod
RF- Jay Bruce

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Thats still AT LEAST 5 years away. I doubt that all those players are still here but I like what your doing and I tend to do that alot too.

In the comments section of Fay's blog, he said this...

Buckley said they may play him at third as well.

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Originally Posted by 11larkin11

In the comments section of Fay's blog, he said this...

Buckley said they may play him at third as well.

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If Javy can do it then so can Alonso

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Originally Posted by 11larkin11

In the comments section of Fay's blog, he said this...

Buckley said they may play him at third as well.

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At least see what he can do. Ryan Braun was also allegedly a third baseman once.

I bet the deal is he doesn't get added to 40 man roster till after the season

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Originally Posted by Degenerate39

If Yorman, Alonso, Juan Duran live up to there names then this team will be pretty amazing in a few years.

C- Devin Mesoraco
1st- Yonder Alonso
2nd- Brandon Phillips
SS- Chris Valaika*
3rd- Todd Frazier*
LF- Joey Votto*
CF- Drew Stubbs*
RF- Jay Bruce

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Let's do it like this just as a more obvious and much sooner roster. With Juan and Yorman the youth on deck. That would be sweet if it panned out that way.

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Originally Posted by RED VAN HOT

I expect that the deal will be done at 3 Mil and minor league contract or not at all.

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I couldn't have been more wrong. What a day! It feels like Festivus in August.