Free Agent Watch: Yankees Enter Mix for Talented Third Baseman
We know the Yankees will have interest in the infield market on both the free agent and trade markets and their pursuits could vary in price depending on their pursuit of Juan Soto. One of the lower-cost options for the infield could be Yoan Moncada, a switch-hitting infielder who has had an inconsistent big-league career with the Chicago White Sox. Francys Romero reports that the Yankees are among teams including the Blue Jays and Mariners who are monitoring his market, and they could be potential suitors for the 29-year-old.
Coming off of a season that ended abruptly due to injury, the Yankees could bring Moncada back to his peak years from 2019-2021 when he had a .363 OBP and 123 wRC+.
Yoan Moncada Generating Some Interest From the Yankees
The story of Yoan Moncada reflects the story of the Chicago White Sox this decade very well. A once-promising talent who ended up in Chicago due to a blockbuster deal that saw Chris Sale head up to Boston, he was supposed to form a young nucleus of talent that would lead the White Sox to a World Series one day. After a stellar 2021 season where he had a 120 wRC+ and .375 OBP, Moncada would slip hard and see his production completely decline.
His degradation offensively mirrors the degradation of the White Sox as an organization, as his play on the field could never be corrected and he would end up getting hurt just a couple of weeks into the 2024 regular season. In the 12 games he played this past season, he had a .356 OBP and 117 wRC+, but there’s no way to know whether he’ll be able to reach the heights he had before as he enters his age-30 season.
If the Yankees were to sign him, it would likely be a one-year deal with plenty of incentives at a low base salary, seeing that Moncada missed 90% of the 2024 season and has a .678 OPS since 2022. The switch-hitting infielder has never reached the 150-game threshold in his career, but his talent and upside are easy to see. Yoan Moncada’s plate control and power were revered as a prospect, and both of those tools are very much still there for him.
Perhaps getting away from Chicago is the best thing that could happen for him, especially given the way that organization has collapsed and the ugly culture that developed in recent years. The Yankees remain focused on their pursuit of Juan Soto as meetings are expected to begin soon and teams are preparing to make monstrous offers for the services of a generational superstar.
