MESA, Ariz. — While Yonder Alonso spent the winter looking ahead, working hard to improve his swing for the upcoming season, he also got a chance to reconnect with his past.
Prompted by friend and former teammate Danny Valencia, the A’s first baseman took a last-second trip to his birthplace, Havana, to reconnect with relatives he hadn’t seen since he was 10.
“It was awesome. I was at Danny’s house and he said, ‘Hey man, I’m going to Cuba on Friday. You want to go?’” Alonso said. “So my wife and I went online and got flights.