When Carlos Santana signed a free agent deal with the Phillies last week, he left a major void in the Indians' lineup.
The Tribe took a major step toward filling that void on Saturday, officially announcing the signing of Yonder Alonso to a two-year, $16 million contract.
The deal will pay Alonso $7 million in 2018, $8 million in 2019 and also includes an $8 million vesting option ($1 million buyout) for 2020.
Once a highly-touted prospect with both the Reds and Padres, Alonso finally had his breakout season at age 30 with the Athletics in 2017.
He earned his first ever All-Star Game nod in 2017 by slashing a mighty .275/.372/.562 with 20 homers and 43 RBI in the first half.
His production trailed off in the second half after getting traded to the Mariners in a deadline deal. Hitting near the middle of the Indians' order though and finding himself in the lineup on a daily basis should boost his fantasy value back up.
He's currently sporting an ADP of 363 in NFBC drafts, which leaves a ridiculous amount of room for profit. That number should be pushed up inside of 300 before March. Buy now!