The Pensacola Pelicans announced today they have reached a trade agreement for the 2010 season with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League. Pensacola will receive 3B/1B John Alonso and RHP David Nathanson in exchange for DH/1B Chase Burch.

Alonso, 6’0 - 225, is fresh coming off his best season in his five year career, hitting .319 with 43 runs, 18 doubles, two triples, 15 homeruns, and 52 RBI. The Orlando, FL resident originally signed and played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization for four seasons before playing for several teams in the Frontier League. Twice last season, the right-handed Alonso had multi-homerun games in which he combined to go 7-10 with four homeruns, six RBI, and six runs scored.

Nathanson, 6’3 - 200, is a career starting pitcher posting a 23-14 record, 3.12 ERA, 203 strikeouts, and 49 walks in 328.2 innings pitched. Nathanson is another Florida native, residing in Maitland and played college baseball at Rollins College. The tall right-hander went the distance with four complete games in 2009. On August 11, Nathanson had a season and career high 10-strikeout complete game performance to record his fifth win of the season.

“Anytime you can get two quality players for one, especially a big starting pitcher, it adds more value and depth to your team,” commented Pelicans General Manager Talmadge Nunnari. “Alonso had a hot year last year and I expect him to continue and produce and Nathanson is a big work horse who averages nearly seven innings per start.”

New roster rules for the 2010 season include that each team must now have a minimum of five rookies and the number of LS-4 players is up one to six. An LS-4 is player who has played four to five seasons of professional baseball and is determined by number of at-bats for position players and number in innings pitched for pitchers.