By Jose M. Romero / @RomeroJoseM

For Fox Deportes

There was never a question of whether Yonder Alonso could hit. It’s a big reason the San Diego Padres last December traded top starting pitcher Mat Latos to the Cincinnati Reds for Alonso, a former first-round pick, and a collection of other prospects and a veteran.

The plan from the jump was to give Alonso the starting first base job, despite him having played only 69 games in the majors for the Reds in 2010 and 2011 combined.

Alonso mashed in 47 games last season, batting .330 with five home runs and 15 runs batted in in just 88 at-bats. The native of Cuba who was raised near Miami came with good credentials, and he’s showing signs of becoming a reliable middle-of-the-order hitter for the Padres as they build for the future.

Read more