Rick Hahn insisted Saturday that the White Sox trading for Yonder Alonso had nothing to do with the team's pursuit of free-agent superstar Manny Machado.
But there's only one team out there that can offer Machado the opportunity to play alongside his brother-in-law for the next two years.
Alonso — whose sister, Yainee, is married to Machado — isn't going to exactly play recruiter for Hahn & Co., but he's thrilled to be a part of the White Sox and said he'd love the opportunity to play with Machado if it came about.
"For me to be in such a great organization, great team," Alonso said during a conference call Monday, the same day the White Sox were reportedly hosting Machado on his free-agent tour, "we understand that he’s obviously going to be meeting with other teams, including Chicago, the White Sox. I think we are definitely very close. We live two blocks away from each other in Miami. It will be very, very nice to also be neighbors on the South Side. I know he’s very excited for me, his whole family is very excited for me. And we feel like it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"He’s going to do his thing, he’s going to obviously do what’s best for his family, but we all understand that we have a very tight family and we definitely would like to reach the playoffs. Maybe in the future play alongside each other.
"I definitely want him to be my neighbor, I’ll tell you that. I want him to be by my side. We have a really close relationship, but again, I know he is going to do his thing and make his own decision. He has his family to take care of.
"But I believe what better way to go than to go to the playoffs and do some big things together. But I think that will all take care of itself. He knows whatever is the best opportunity is for him and regardless of the situation, whether he comes to Chicago or goes elsewhere, I stand right behind him pushing him to be a better player — and hopefully not against us. Hopefully he’s next to me, and he’s able to play well."
MLB
It's apparent that Alonso will provide plenty of value to the White Sox regardless of whether his more famous brother-in-law decides to sign up to play 81-plus of his home games on the South Side for the next decade or not. Hahn talked up Alonso's value as a clubhouse leader for the team's wealth of young players, and Alonso is interested in mentoring those guys and teaching them the same way he learned from stars like Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, Mark Kotsay, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz.
And that's all without mentioning the presence he'll create in the middle of the White Sox lineup. Alonso produced to the point he was an All-Star selection in 2017.
But with Machado reportedly in town to meet with the White Sox on Monday, it's little surprise that Alonso kept getting asked about the potential of playing alongside a family member. Alonso was excited about that prospect, and he also rushed to his brother-in-law's defense when asked about the now-infamous "Johnny Hustle" remarks. Machado expressed his distaste for hustling during the playoffs, an interesting juxtaposition with the "don't quit" culture of White Sox manager Rick Renteria, who routinely benched players for not hustling throughout the 2018 season. Alonso, though, said those comments were overblown and didn't accurately reflect the player he knows so well.
"It was a little bit overblown," Alonso said. "We’re looking at a player, a family person, a player that wants to be better every single day, a guy that pushes everybody. This guy shows up every day. I joke around, my teammates and I would say, 'A good teammate is .300, 30 (home runs) and 100 (RBIs).' Obviously that’s messing around.
"We know what this guy does. I know what he does off the field, on the field. When he shows up, he shows up ready to play every single day. He gives it everything he’s got and at the end of the day it’s about wins. Wins, wins, wins. That’s all he wants. He wants to obviously be together, be a teammate, be a good teammate.
"All the people don’t see the things that nobody can see: inside that clubhouse, how he gets ready, how he prepares, bringing it every single day, every night and making guys better every single day. This guy plays hard. He plays really good defense. He’s been a Platinum Glove winner. We obviously all know what kind of player he is when it comes to the offensive side. To do all those things you’ve got to play hard. You’ve got to go out there and give it all you got because there’s so many talented players out there that play the game very hard.
"Obviously on a personal level, to win those awards, and on a family level to see him everyday working out and seeing him train and seeing the way he goes about his business, it’s an all-out type of guy. I believe that he’s that type of player, he’s a player that obviously would be the franchise, not only from an on-field standpoint but from the stuff that most of you guys don’t see of uniting people and uniting players to become all as one."
That's a heck of an endorsement, even if it is an admittedly biased one, and could perhaps go a long way toward assuaging the concerns of the White Sox fans who were turned off by Machado's antics during the postseason.
Alonso is going to let his brother-in-law make his own decision, and Machado should have plenty of information after meeting with the White Sox, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies this week.
But no matter why the White Sox made the move they made in brining Alonso to Chicago, there's no doubt they now offer a unique opportunity to one of the biggest names on the free-agent market and one of the best players in baseball.
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