Jason Pridie suspended 50 games for “drug of abuse”

UPDATE #2: It took three days, but MLB has officially announced Pridie’s suspension.

UPDATE #1: Shea says the positive test was for a “drug of abuse” rather than a performance-enhancing drug, which means this was actually Pridie’s second positive test.

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Journeyman outfielder Jason Pridie has been suspended 50 games for violating the minor-league drug program, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pridie signed a minor-league deal with the A’s in November after previously spending time with the Rays, Twins, and Mets.

He’s hit .226 with a .670 OPS in 112 games as a major leaguer, hasn’t been great in the high minors either, and was unlikely to make the Opening Day roster at age 28.

The White Sox have reportedly picked up first baseman Yonder Alonso from the Indians, according to Stadium. The return for Alonso is expected to be nothing more flashy than a “fringe prospect,” though the minutiae of the deal is still pending a formal announcement from both teams.

Alonso, 31, inked a two-year deal with the Indians during the 2017 offseason. His first campaign with the club yielded a modest .250/.317/.421 batting line, 23 home runs, .738 OPS and 0.7 fWAR in 574 PA. The real boon for the White Sox may not be a passable veteran bat, however, but something more intangible — like Alonso’s clout with his brother-in-law and highly-coveted free agent slugger, Manny Machado.

While Alonso’s 2018 output represented a significant decline from the career-best numbers he posted in 2017, he’s still a solid contributor at the plate and, more importantly, slated to remain under team control for the next two years with just $8 million owed in 2019 and a $9 million option in 2020. As MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince notes, the $17 million the Indians just erased from their payroll should give them enough room to accommodate the contracts for right-handers Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber — a bonus regardless of what they happen to get in the trade.