By Jose M. Romero / @RomeroJose

Everth Cabrera has a plan for after the 2012 major-league baseball season ends, one that he hopes will happen. The San Diego Padres infielder from Managua, Nicaragua, has expressed a desire to represent his country in World Baseball Classic preliminary pool play in November in Panama City, Panama.

Nicaragua was invited to WBC qualifying, and if it wins a modified double-elimination pool that includes teams from Brazil, Colombia and Panama, Nicaragua will be in the 16-team field of the third playing of the World Baseball Classic that takes place in March of 2013.

As one of only a scant few Nicaraguans in the major leagues, Cabrera, assuming he is invited to play, will be a central figure in how his team fares. He said veteran major-league pitcher Vicente Padilla and rookie Erasmo Ramirez from the Seattle Mariners organization could join him in Panama, along  with a number of Nicaraguans in the U.S. minor leagues.

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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.

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