The Rangers converted Prince Fielder to a full-time DH for his age-31 season. Jim Thome essentially hung up his glove at 35. The Tigers shifted Miguel Cabrera to an everyday DH during his age-36 season. Ditto for the Angels and Albert Pujols.
Aging sluggers often end up retiring from the field before retiring from the game, their bats still potent enough to stick around.
This is a fate Pete Alonso never wants to meet.
“I want to play the field forever,” Alonso said this week. “I don’t want to let my body get to that point because I want to take care of what I need to in the training room, in the gym, and put in the work so that doesn’t happen.”