In the case of the White Sox, the front office made a point to bring in some veterans from the outside to help younger players gain their footing on and off the field. One of those figures was designated hitter/first baseman Yonder Alonso, who was acquired in a trade with the Indians in December.
"I come in here setting very high goals for myself as a player and teammate," Alonso said. "As a team, we must try and do this together, and the best teams are successful in both areas."
Alonso will rotate with Jose Abreu between DH and first base, while Daniel Palka will also get some time at DH. Alonso had 23 homers and a career-high 83 RBIs to go along with a .738 OPS in 145 games in 2018.
"Having Yonder and (Jon) Jay on our team expand the ability to have a little bit more experience and leadership in our clubhouse," manager Rick Renteria said. "We have made a lot of changes in our roster makeup. We have now added guys who have been in serious postseason situations. They have been through the battles. These men can cumulatively affect others in ways that we might not have anticipated last year."
Alonso appreciates the attitudes he has seen in the White Sox clubhouse early in spring training and believes natural leaders are forming.
"Everybody, I believe, can be a leader," Alonso said. "I don't think that leaders are the best player on the team. I don't think they are the worst players on the team. I think everybody has a part and can lead to their job. Age has little to do with it. When it comes to leading, you don't have to be the oldest guy here. I think with time, blossoming of being a leader will come out."
Alonso praised young infielders Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson for their maturation.
"They are doing a great job," Alonso said. "I watch them putting in the work. They will continue to put in the work. I will be available with any advice or tips if asked. They are big leaguers who are getting a strong sense of what they need to do. We are starting to see two different players than we have seen in the past. They are no longer raw players. They will be exciting to watch."
Renteria will lean on Alonso and a few others to send the right message as the team looks to grow.
"We believe some players grow into leaders," Renteria said. "Some no matter the age are natural leaders. With the older guys, there is an aspect of respect that goes with having been around and have accomplished things. They can show people how to do things."