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Dec. 23, 2017 / 11:52 AM

Cleveland Indians sign 1B Yonder Alonso to 2-year contract

Oakland Athletics' Yonder Alonso (R) gets a hand from Chad Pinder (18) after a solo home run off Texas Rangers reliever Mike Hauschild in the seventh inning on April 19 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. File photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI

Oakland Athletics' Yonder Alonso (R) gets a hand from Chad Pinder (18) after a solo home run off Texas Rangers reliever Mike Hauschild in the seventh inning on April 19 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. File photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

The Cleveland Indians announced the signing of free-agent first baseman Yonder Alonso to a two-year contract Saturday, guaranteed to be worth at least $16 million.

The 30-year-old Alonso batted .266 with a career-high 28 homers and 67 RBIs in 142 games split between the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners last season. He also scored 72 times and had an OPS of .866 en route to being named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

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The Indians will play Alonso $7 million in 2018 and $8 million in 2019. The contract calls for a $9 million vesting option in 2020, or a $1 million buyout.

Alonso will take over at first base in Cleveland for Carlos Santana, who finalized a three-year, $60 million agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Alonso has a career average of .268 with 67 home runs in 806 games with the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Athletics and Mariners.

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