Infielder Yoán Moncada is currently a free agent after playing out a one year, $5MM deal with the Angels. He was an above-average hitter in 84 games in 2025 but missed time due to right thumb and right knee injuries. According to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, several teams have expressed early interest in signing Moncada, including the Angels, Pirates, White Sox, and Blue Jays.
The 30-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox out of Cuba for a $31.5MM bonus in February 2015. He made his debut late in 2016 before being traded to the White Sox as their key return for Chris Sale. Moncada had a 105 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances in 2017 but fell below average in his first full season in 2018. He broke out in 2019 with a .315/.367/.548 batting line in 559 PA, along with 25 home runs. Granted, the ball was juiced that year, but Moncada’s output was still 39% better than average by wRC+. The White Sox were confident enough to give him a five-year, $70MM extension in March 2020, which covered the 2020-24 seasons and contained a club option for 2025.
Moncada slumped during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, posting a 94 wRC+ while seeing a drop in power and spending two weeks on the injured list. He rebounded in 2021 with a line of .263/.375/.412 and a 120 wRC+. The power wasn’t quite back to his 2019 levels, though he looked like a more mature hitter overall, dropping his strikeout rate to 25.5% while posting a career-best 13.6% walk rate.
Unfortunately, Moncada has struggled with injuries and inconsistency ever since. From 2022-24, he batted .236/.291/.387 with an 88 wRC+ while playing in just 206 out of 486 possible games. In 2024, he spent most of the season on the 60-day IL with a left abductor strain, making just 45 plate appearances with a 118 wRC+. After the season, the club declined their $25MM club option on Moncada in lieu of a $5MM buyout, making him a free agent.
This year with the Angels, he had a 117 wRC+ in 289 PA over 84 games. His strikeout rate of 26.0% was high, while his 11.1% walk rate was better than average. His .214 ISO was his highest since his 2019 breakout season, as was his .448 slugging percentage. Although he is nominally a switch-hitter, most of his damage came as a lefty facing right-handed pitching. He posted 125 wRC+ in 262 PA against righties, but just a 37 wRC+ in 27 PA against southpaws. Meanwhile, both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average saw Moncada as a liability at third base. His -13 OAA was worst in the league among third baseman with at least 300 defensive innings.
Altogether, Moncada showed above average offense but was weighed down by injuries and newfound defensive struggles. As a free agent, he is more or less in the same position as last offseason, with a one-year deal being his most likely outcome. The current market has Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez as the top options at third base. Kazuma Okamoto is still available, with his posting window closing on January 4. The next-best options after that are utility players, so teams needing an everyday third baseman could look to Moncada as a low-cost flier.
Among the clubs with reported interest, the Angels might be the best fit. Anthony Rendon is expected to retire after an injury-riddled tenure in Los Angeles. After Moncada, Luis Rengifo got the most time at the hot corner in 2025, though he is a now a free agent. The club acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox earlier this month, and he has not played third base in his big-league career. Another one-year deal with Moncada would fill the third-base vacancy and set Grissom up to compete for second base time, where the incumbent Christian Moore was unimpressive offensively in 2025.
Looking at the Pirates, the team traded Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds in July and saw Isiah Kiner-Falefa claimed by the Blue Jays in August. Jared Triolo played 260 1/3 innings at the hot corner, but he is more of a multi-positional player and did not hit as well as Moncada. The club is interested in signing Okamoto, but Moncada could be a fallback option for them.
The White Sox recently signed Munetaka Murakami to play first base and have Miguel Vargas as the projected starter at third. Moncada would be an offensive upgrade over Vargas if the club limits his exposure to left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are known to be interested in signing Bregman. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger are already on the roster if he signs elsewhere. Both are average hitters, while Clement is an excellent defender at third (11 DRS in 2025), so they are a more curious fit for Moncada.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
.234 BA with 12hrs is above average now? Says who?
Baseball Reference says so. OPS+ of 116 the last two years and a career OPS+ of 107. Both better than the average hitter.
When he plays he’s a decent hitter. The “when” is the problem, not the bat.
Reggie
True for 2025.
In 2024, for the whole year, he was 11 for 45 with no homers. OPS+ is usually a useful statistic, but not for Moncada in 2024.
Likewise we cant say only 12 HR in 2025 with only 289 AB..
With a nickname like Yoyo, Moncada is going to string you along.
But up and down was right there.
Why did the yoyo cross the road?
It was walking the dog
Just keep Yoan Moncada as far a way from the Yankees as possible. Let him go anywhere else. Easy pass.
.234 is definitely above average for a Angels hitter
Vargas is on the rise.
@chisox378 I agree with you.
I don’t agree with: “Moncada would be an offensive upgrade over Vargas…”
I know the comment ends with “…if the club limits his exposure to left-handed pitching…” But Moncada is not a good player.
If only The Cuban National Team was a Major League Team.
People don’t realize how good he is defensively. Excellent defender.
It’s all a shame.
I don’t buy for a second that the Sox are interested in Moncada lol
Or the Jays.
I really hope the Pirates sign Okamoto .That could hopefully give them a chance to be a playoff team with their pitching staff and the Lowe and O’Hearn additions.
I agree big time.
But Okamoto and (a healthy) Moncada seem more similar then people think
At least from what ive heard both are below avg at 3B , <.260 , 20 HR potential
Okamoto has a little more breakout potential and would be more fun & marketable, but theyre not extremely far apart realistically
20 HR potential seems like a pretty generous stretch for Moncada. He’s done that once, 6 years ago. Maybe if he signs with the Yankees and manages to play a full season for them, Any other scenario I wouldn’t expect more than a dozen.
Can’t hit and has little power, would fit right in with the Pirates. Older version of Hayes without the defense
On pace for close to 20 HR last year
Moncada is decent. Just injury prone and fat
This is one of slowest and boring off seasons in recent memory for me.
With all the bodies left on the board it’s bound to have a frenzied finish though.
Moncada never lived up to the hype.
Haha its almost like hes a different person from the ultra athletic SS the red sox signed way back
I don’t see why the white sox would need him now?
Agreed. I don’t see the reunion either
“He was an above-average hitter in 84 games in 2025 but missed time due to right thumb and right knee injuries” was the second sentence of the article
i was trying to reply to another comment but this is still a fun fact
Predicting that Okamoto signs in next 24 hours, hoping with the pirates.
Probably wont hear anything until the 4th or 5th
He had a good year in 2019
That was about it
Excellent year in 2019, very good year in 2021 imo
He can’t play 3b. He was incredibly bad last year and his arm was playdoh. He is only 2b at this point. He’s also become so slow the immortal snail could catch him easily.
I liked Moncada last year on the angels. Does it matter who plays third, when you are a 4.3 team
Sure would love to see Grayson have a big year.
Denzel Guzman can field, put him at third.
Grayson hasn’t pitched since July of 24. If healthy he most likely won’t go past about 75 innings.
Over 30 and best years behind him? The Angels love overpaying this kind of guy. If he doesn’t care about playing for a winner, he can get that one big last contract and coast out the rest of his career in Anaheim.
Pirates do need a Third Baseman
Bring Yoyo back to the South Side. Still have his jerseys in the closet!
Since Moncada stopped playing full-time in ’22, he has an OPS+ of 95 while appearing in 45% of his team’s games.
Could be that is all due to whatever ailments kept him out of the line-up but, if his bat has disappeared against lefties and he can’t play defense, I hope this is a bet the Jays don’t make.
I would love the M’s to sign Okamoto, but they seem to want to give Williamson a legit shot. Moncada might be a decent low cost pickup to hit vs RH pitching, Perry Hill will be able to get the most out of him defensively.