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Yoan Moncada

Gold Glove Nominees Announced

By TC Zencka | October 22, 2020 at 3:20pm CDT

The 2020 Rawlings Glove Glove Award finalists have been released, with the Cubs netting the most nominations with seven. The Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, and Red Sox were shut out.

The awards for defensive prowess will be handed out based on defensive metrics alone this year, since managers and coaches weren’t able to see players outside their regional bubble. Moving to a metrics-based system, even for a year, certainly make for interesting television, especially since these awards can make an impact on arbitration cases. Considering the uncertainty of a 60-game season, awards could carry greater weight than usual in those proceedings, thought that’s just speculation. Without further ado, here are this year’s nominees:

AL Pitcher

  • Griffin Canning (LAA)
  • Kenta Maeda (MIN)
  • Zach Plesac (CLE)

NL Pitcher

  • Max Fried (ATL)
  • Kyle Hendricks (CHC)
  • Alec Mills (CHC)

AL Catcher

  • Yasmani Grandal (CHW)
  • James McCann (CHW)
  • Roberto Perez (CLE)

NL Catcher

  • Tucker Barnhart (CIN)
  • Willson Contreras (CHC)
  • Jacob Stallings (PIT)

AL First Base

  • Yuli Gurriel (HOU)
  • Matt Olson (OAK)
  • Evan White (SEA)

NL First Base

  • Brandon Belt (SF)
  • Paul Goldschmidt (STL)
  • Anthony Rizzo (CHC)

AL Second Base

  • Cesar Hernandez (CLE)
  • Danny Mendick (CHW)
  • Jonathan Schoop (DET)
  • Nicky Lopez (KC)

NL Second Base

  • Adam Frazier (PIT)
  • Nico Hoerner (CHC)
  • Kolten Wong (STL)

AL Third Base

  • Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TEX)
  • Yoan Moncada (CHW)
  • Gio Urshela (NYY)

NL Third Base

  • Brian Anderson (MIA)
  • Nolan Arenado (COL)
  • Manny Machado (SD)

AL Shortstop

  • Carlos Correa (HOU)
  • J.P. Crawford (SEA)
  • Niko Goodrum (DET)

NL Shortstop

  • Javier Baez (CHC)
  • Miguel Rojas (MIA)
  • Dansby Swanson (ATL)

AL Left Field

  • Alex Gordon (KC)
  • Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (TOR)
  • Kyle Tucker (HOU)

NL Left Field

  • Shogo Akiyama (CIN)
  • David Peralta (ARI)
  • Tyler O’Neill (STL)

AL Centerfield

  • Byron Buxton (MIN)
  • Ramon Laureano (OAK)
  • Luis Robert (CHW)

NL Centerfield

  • Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL)
  • Cody Bellinger (LAD)
  • Trent Grisham (SD)

AL Right Field

  • Clint Frazier (NYY)
  • Joey Gallo (TEX)
  • Anthony Santander (BAL)

NL Right Field

  • Mookie Betts (LAD)
  • Charlie Blackmon (COL)
  • Jason Heyward (CHC)

Nicky Lopez of the Royals was originally left off the list, but he is in fact a nominee at second base, one of four nominations at the keystone in the American League. It’s the only position with four nominations.

There are a few other interesting things of note. Perennial candidates like Andrelton Simmons and Matt Chapman did not make the list this year due to shortened seasons, nor did last season’s Outs Above Average leader Victor Robles. Both Gurriel brothers earned nominations this year, with the younger Lourdes (LF) joining perennial candidate Yuli (1B).

There are also a couple of largely part-time players that made the cut, like Hoerner of the Cubs and Mendick for the White Sox. Neither was the everyday second baseman, but they did reach the inning minimum of 265 total defensive innings. They qualified at second because that’s where they played the most innings. Mendick, for example, registered just 226 innings at second, but with 27 innings at third and 15 at shortstop, he ended the year with 268 total defensive innings played.

Catchers required a minimum of 29 games, which is how we got a pair of White Sox catchers making the top-3. Pitchers had to throw a minimum of 50 innings.

The winners will be selected using the SABR Defensive Index and announced on November 3rd, per sabr.org.

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Adam Frazier Alec Mills Alex Gordon Andrelton Simmons Anthony Rizzo Anthony Santander Brandon Belt Brian Anderson Byron Buxton Carlos Correa Cesar Hernandez Charlie Blackmon Clint Frazier Cody Bellinger Danny Mendick Dansby Swanson David Peralta Evan White Griffin Canning Ian Anderson Isiah Kiner-Falefa J.P. Crawford Jacob Stallings James McCann Jason Heyward Javier Baez Joey Gallo Jonathan Schoop Kansas City Royals Kenta Maeda Kolten Wong Kyle Hendricks Kyle Tucker Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Luis Robert Manny Machado Matt Chapman Matt Olson Max Fried Miguel Rojas Mookie Betts Nicky Lopez Nico Hoerner Niko Goodrum Nolan Arenado Paul Goldschmidt Ramon Laureano Roberto Perez Ronald Acuna Shogo Akiyama Television Trent Grisham Tucker Barnhart Victor Robles Willson Contreras Yasmani Grandal Yoan Moncada Yuli Gurriel Zach Plesac

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White Sox Designate Carson Fulmer For Assignment, Sign Ryan Goins To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | July 23, 2020 at 12:41pm CDT

The White Sox set their Opening Day roster Thursday, announcing that they’ve designated former top-10 pick Carson Fulmer for assignment. Chicago also signed old friend Ryan Goins to a minor league deal and assigned him to its alternate training site and selected the contracts of four players: infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, outfielder Nicky Delmonico, left-hander Ross Detwiler and right-hander Codi Heuer. Additionally, veteran utilityman Andrew Romine was released by the organization.

Sox fans will surely be glad to see Yoan Moncada activated from the injured list and placed on the Opening Day roster after previously being out with Covid-19. The White Sox also called up right-hander Jimmy Lambert and catcher Zack Collins from their alternate site.

It’s a disappointing outcome for the Sox and Fulmer alike. The former Vanderbilt star was at one point considered during his junior year to be a possible No. 1 overall pick, but he’s simply never put it together in the Majors. I explored the Fulmer conundrum at length during the league’s shutdown, looking at the right-hander’s lengthy history of struggles in the Majors and upper minors. Fulmer was touted as one of the surest big leaguers in that year’s draft, as even his critics felt he was a high-probability late-inning bullpen piece. Those with reservations about taking him at the top of the draft weren’t so much worried that he’d bust completely but that he’d thrive “only” as a reliever rather than a starter.

Fast forward a half decade, and Fulmer is an out-of-options righty with a career 6.56 ERA in the Majors and 5.39 ERA in Triple-A. As detailed in the previously linked piece on him, there are plenty of positive indicators in his arsenal, and I personally have wondered how he might fare working at the top of the zone with his four-seamer, but the win-now White Sox clearly didn’t feel he was among their 30 best options. Perhaps his struggles will be pronounced enough that he’ll clear waivers, but one can also imagine a non-contender rolling the dice on his once touted arm.

Of the players selected to the 40-man roster today, Delmonico and Detwiler have both appeared for the Sox in the past. Delmonico will give them a left-handed bench bat with sparse MLB success, while Detwiler can soak up some innings if need be — either as a spot starter or long reliever. Cuthbert was once a high-end Royals prospect but has never hit much in five MLB seasons. Heuer, meanwhile, was Chicago’s sixth-round pick in 2018 and posted dominant numbers in the minors last year. He has long-term bullpen potential for them, and the Sox are surely excited to get a glimpse of how he’ll fare against MLB opposition.

As for Goins, he’ll return to the organization for a second season after hitting .250/.333/.347 in 52 games with the Sox last year. The longtime Blue Jays infielder doesn’t have much of a track record at the plate — he’s a career .230/.279/.335 hitter — but he can play all over the infield and is generally considered a strong up-the-middle defender.

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Andrew Romine Carson Fulmer Cheslor Cuthbert Chicago White Sox Jimmy Lambert Newsstand Nicky Delmonico Ross Detwiler Ryan Goins Transactions Yoan Moncada Zack Collins

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Yoan Moncada Rejoins White Sox

By Connor Byrne | July 16, 2020 at 6:06pm CDT

White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada has rejoined the club after a stint on the injured list, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. Moncada had been on the IL since July 10. The reason for Moncada’s IL placement was not disclosed at the time, but he announced Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19 (via Merkin).

Right-hander Jose Ruiz, whom the White Sox placed on the IL alongside Moncada, has also returned. He’ll head to Schaumburg, Ill., to join Chicago’s taxi squad.

Manager Rick Renteria isn’t sure whether Moncada will have enough time to prepare himself for Opening Day on July 24, per James Fegan of The Athletic. The White Sox will make a decision on that in the next two or three days. Regardless, it’s welcome news for the White Sox and the sport that Moncada’s back to health. The 25-year-old broke out last season with a .315/.367/.548 line (141 wRC+), 25 home runs, 10 stolen bases and 5.7 fWAR in 559 plate appearances. If the White Sox are finally going to return to contention sometime soon, it stands to reason he’ll play a major role in their success.

The hard-throwing Ruiz, also 25, tossed 40 innings for Chicago in 2019, but he had trouble keeping opposing offenses at bay. All told, Ruiz registered a 5.63 ERA/5.36 FIP with 7.88 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9.

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Chicago White Sox Jose Ruiz Yoan Moncada

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Michael Kopech Opts Out Of 2020 Season

By Jeff Todd | July 10, 2020 at 5:03pm CDT

White Sox righty Michael Kopech has opted out of the 2020 season, per a club announcement. He was working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

In other news from White Sox camp, infielder Yoan Moncada and righty Jose Ruiz have each been placed on the 10-day injured list. Further details are not known at this time.

Kopech did not reveal his personal decisionmaking process in the announcement. Pursuant to the modified rules for the 2020 season, players have the exclusive right to opt out without penalty. Those that have a particular medical basis for the decision can retain their salary and service time; others sacrifice those things.

It’s not clear in this case whether Kopech will continue to accrue service time in the 2020 season. If not, the 24-year-old will begin the 2021 campaign with just over one full season of MLB service.

Kopech is one of the most exciting young talents in the White Sox organization. He debuted in 2018, showing big stuff but ultimately coming down with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

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Chicago White Sox Jose Ruiz Michael Kopech Newsstand Transactions Yoan Moncada

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Quick Hits: Latest On The Impact Of Coronavirus Around The Game

By TC Zencka | May 16, 2020 at 10:25am CDT

As players and owners work on negotiating a financial accord to allow for the start of play, opinions have trickled in from all reaches of the baseball-sphere with personal stances about how best to reboot gameplay. After Blake Snell set off a bit of a firestorm with his concerns about returning to the field, many players have chimed in to support the lefty hurler. Obviously, many players are justifiably concerned about what gameplay would mean for their safety and the safety of their families. No one understands this as much as Yoan Moncada, whose 1-year-old daughter was recently hospitalized. She’s doing better now, and Moncada, despite the scare, is ready to return to play should that become a possibility, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Van Schouwen provides a quote from Moncada, who said, “[My family is] concerned, as everybody is. But if the conditions are safe, they’re going to be good with it. But it is a concern no matter what.” Obviously, everyone has been affected in some form or fashion by this pandemic, and players face difficult personal decisions ahead before returning to play. Of course, COVID-19 has hurt not just the players and owners…

  • While most of the focus has remained on the league’s attempts to return to the playing field, the consequences of the shutdown are hitting home for many professionals in the field. The Reds, Rays, and Marlins have announced furloughs that are to begin in June, and the latest from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter) has the Angels among the teams considering the same. Officially, the Angels are still on the fence. It is nonetheless an unfortunate and troubling development for those involved. Hopefully, some of the larger market franchises will be better equipped to weather the storm for their employees.
  • Beyond the question of will-they-or-won’t-they play a 2020 season, there are ancillary questions that need answering in the event of a shortened 2020 season. Joel Sherman of the New York Post runs through a whole host of those issues that will require answers at some point. Among Sherman’s inquiries are topics ranging from a potential trade deadline to drug testing to the practical concerns of the games themselves. Baseball is in a better position than heavy-contact sports like basketball and football, but the game still cannot be played with players keeping a 6-foot distance from one another. It helps that the primary action takes place between a batter and pitcher standing 60 feet and 6 inches apart, but there is plenty of potential for in-game contact, as well as the mere fact of shuffling 26-man rosters from stadium to stadium together.
  • The Red Sox will be able to resume play at Fenway Park this season according to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. There are, of course, a number of conditions to meet before play resumes at Fenway. For instance, fans will not be allowed in attendance, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe. There will also be safety measures that the city of Boston must sign off on before play resumes. Still, it may give players a welcome sense of familiarity to be able to play in their home ballparks, even without fans in the seats. The number of teams that will be able to resume play in their home parks remains up in the air for now, though that does seem to be the goal for most teams.
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Blake Snell Boston Red Sox Cincinnati Reds Coronavirus Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Tampa Bay Rays Yoan Moncada

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White Sox Extend Yoan Moncada

By Mark Polishuk | March 6, 2020 at 11:03am CDT

Yoan Moncada was viewed as a potential building block from the moment the White Sox acquired him, and he’s officially been elevated to that status. The White Sox on Friday announced that they’ve signed Moncada to a five-year, $70MM extension that runs through the 2024 season and includes a club option for the 2025 season.

Yoan Moncada

The White Sox, one of the only teams in baseball that discloses financial terms, announced the breakdown of the contract: a $4MM signing bonus, $1MM in 2020, $6MM in 2021, $13MM in 2022, $17MM in 2023 and $24MM in 2024. The $25MM option for 2025 comes with a $5MM buyout. Moncada is represented by the Movement Management Group.

Of players who signed extensions when they had between two and three years of Major League service time, only Mike Trout, Alex Bregman, and Buster Posey received a higher annual average value than the $14MM Moncada will earn over the next five seasons.  In a recent look at what a possible Moncada extension could cost, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd set Bregman’s deal (a five-year, $100MM extension from last spring) as a possible comp, and Moncada will fall short of that dollar figure even if his 2025 option is exercised.   That said, Bregman was also more established at the big league level and his deal didn’t cover his remaining pre-arbitration season.

Reports surfaced last week about negotiations between the two sides, and the agreement makes Moncada the latest member of Chicago’s young core to ink a long-term deal.  The White Sox have signed Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Aaron Bummer to extensions within the last year, and also extended veteran leader Jose Abreu through the 2022 season after Abreu initially accepted the team’s qualifying offer last fall.  Between these extensions and the offseason acquisitions of Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion, Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, and Nomar Mazara, the Sox are clearly ready to put their rebuild behind them as they pursue (at the very least) their first winning season since 2012.

Moncada became one of the cornerstones of that rebuild process when he was acquired as part of the four-prospect package the White Sox received from the Red Sox for Chris Sale in December 2016.  At the time of the deal, many considered Moncada to be arguably baseball’s top prospect, and he showed glimpses of that potential during two decent but inconsistent seasons with the White Sox in 2017-18.  Last year, however, Moncada broke out to hit .,315/.367/.548 with 25 homers over 559 plate appearance, while also displaying some solid third base defense in the opinion of the Statcast (+5 infield outs above average) and UZR/150 (+4.9) metrics.

It wasn’t all good news for Moncada in 2019, as he posted the lowest walk rate (7.2%) of his three seasons in Chicago and also benefited from a .406 BABIP.  While Moncada’s strong baserunning will tend to give him a higher BABIP than most players, a .406 mark (over 100 points above average) indicates some level of good fortune.  Still, there’s an awful lot to like from Moncada’s performance, especially for a player who doesn’t turn 25 until May.

2020 was Moncada’s final pre-arbitration season, so his extension will cover that pre-arb year, his three arbitration seasons, and at least his first free agent season.  If the White Sox exercise the 2025 option, Moncada will be eligible for free agency as he enters his age-31 season, so there’s still an opportunity at another big payday beyond this contract.  It should be noted that Moncada already gained financial security before appearing even in the minor leagues, as he received a $31.5MM bonus upon signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent in February 2015.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the agreement (Twitter link). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the financial terms. Rosenthal, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel each tweeted additional financial details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Chicago White Sox Newsstand Transactions Yoan Moncada

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How Much Could Yoan Moncada Command In An Extension?

By Jeff Todd | February 28, 2020 at 9:06pm CDT

There have been some rumblings of possible extension talks between the White Sox and young star Yoan Moncada. He didn’t validate the reports but did say he’d be interested in a long-term stay.

This all tracks on paper. The White Sox have long been one of the game’s most aggressive teams when it comes to early-career extensions. Long before recently-inked deals with Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, and Aaron Bummer, the team reached agreements with Chris Sale and Adam Eaton that paid huge dividends.

And Moncada? He’s still just 24 years of age and is one season shy of arbitration. The switch-hitting infielder just turned in a monster 2019 campaign, launching 25 long balls and slashing .315/.367/.548 over 559 plate appearances. He relied upon a .406 BABIP to get there, but that reflected Moncada’s tantalizing combination of pop (97th percentile exit velocity) and wheels (72nd percentile sprint speed).

It’d probably be wise to anticipate some regression, but there’s little denying the validity of the breakout. Moncada just plain stings the baseball and has now proven he can deliver that consistently against big-league pitching. He will probably always swing and miss more than you’d prefer, but he drove down his strikeout rate from about one-third to a much-more-palatable 27.5%. Moncada doesn’t attempt a ton of steals but still clearly grades as a positive on the bases. Metrics have not been consistent on his glovework as he has moved between second and third base, but it seems clear that the tools are there for an average or above-average fielder.

Moncada has always had a thrilling skillset. Now he has shown he knows how to use it against the best pitchers in the game. He’s not yet a top-shelf superstar, but he’s a bona fide franchise building block who could easily become one of the faces of the game.

So … what’s his future worth?

This is a question often faced by teams contemplating how best to capitalize on the presence of high-grade young talent. Worst case, the White Sox will enjoy the rights to control Moncada for four more seasons — beginning with a league-minimum+ 2020 salary with his salary increasing thereafter through the arbitration process. If he sinks, the obligations will go down or even go away if the team decides to cut ties. If he rises, the Sox will pay more but will still enjoy a discount. Should Moncada continue to star but end up missing time due to injury, the club will have to weather his absence but could still recoup some value through reduced future costs.

That’s just how the (collectively bargained) arbitration system works. Players bear quite a lot of risk and their earning upside is tempered, which in many cases provides leverage to teams. Want to capitalize on your talent and early-career production to ensure you’ll earn tens of millions of dollars? Better sign an extension.

This is where things get interesting in the case of Moncada. Only a few players near arbitration eligibility while already sitting on a huge pile of cash. Even the very top draft picks don’t earn eight-figure bonuses. And with international spending caps now in place, young players from abroad no longer command the kinds of huge bonuses that … well, the kind that Moncada himself received back in 2015 when he inked a $31MM deal with the Red Sox (and that actually cost the team twice that amount due to penalties).

Aha. Moncada has already earned quite a lot of money. And he’s now only a season from turning that spigot back on through arbitration. There’s still risk for him. Arbitration places a heavy reliance upon a player’s platform season, so it’s still possible Moncada won’t earn all that much in 2021. And who knows just how things could play out from there. But unlike virtually all of the other players that find themselves in his position at this stage of their careers — even the few that have something like his resume — Moncada already has made one great haul of cash. That removes a major bit of leverage for the White Sox.

This matters more than you might think at first glance. How else do you explain the fact that (as I explained in writing about it at the time) Aaron Nola gave up so much career earnings upside to lock in a $45MM guarantee? (He even had leverage as a former seventh overall pick who had already reached arbitration.) Those that lack substantial bargaining power can go for shockingly cheap prices, as the Braves proved last year when they squeezed excellent young infielder Ozzie Albies. (Yep, I’m kicking a hornet’s nest, but we don’t need to re-litigate this one here.)

Odds are, Moncada won’t be taken to the cleaners. But where might his price tag land?

The White Sox have already charted somewhat new ground with their exceedingly early, reasonably robust promises to Jimenez ($43MM guarantee) and Robert ($50MM). So, they aren’t afraid of being somewhat bold. Moncada obviously has much better bargaining power than did his teammates, making those payouts an easy floor. As for a ceiling … well, it’d be tough to argue that Moncada ought to top Mike Trout’s $144MM deal. That original Trout extension still stands as the highest-ever contract for a non-Super Two player with two or more years of MLB service.

In between those marks, you have nearly $100MM of conceivable negotiating space. Clearly, they’re of limited value as comps, though it’s still useful to start with those kinds of limits. Finding a place in between can be challenging. Other 2+ service-class players have approached that nine figure mark. Carlos Gonzalez was promised $80MM by the Rockies; Hanley Ramirez took a $70MM guarantee from the Marlins. Those are stale comparables, though. In this case, though, there is at least one clear recent market marker that would surely loom large.

This time last year, the Astros locked in Alex Bregman with a $100MM guarantee. The deal paid him for all of his arbitration eligibility and added two seasons of control over would-be free agent campaigns. The Houston organization wasn’t able to add any additional control via options, which is reflective of Bregman’s excellence.

Moncada’s track record falls shy of Bregman’s at the time of the latter’s signing, so you might think the former would be valued at a somewhat lower rate. But we’ve also just seen a big crop of free agent contracts revive player expectations. (Bregman’s deal came on the heels a weak open market.) And Moncada’s aforementioned bonus earnings could help him hold out for that kind of money (if not even more).

All things considered, the Bregman contract seems like a solid target for Moncada’s reps. Whether or Should the White Sox wish to gain the rights to one or more options, they’ll likely have to promise more for the guaranteed seasons.

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Chicago White Sox MLBTR Originals Yoan Moncada

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White Sox, Yoan Moncada Have Reportedly Held Preliminary Extension Talks

By Steve Adams | February 25, 2020 at 9:08pm CDT

The White Sox have opened negotiations on a contract extension with third baseman Yoan Moncada’s newly hired representatives at the Movement Management Group, as first reported by James Fox of FutureSox.com (Twitter link). Bruce Levine of 670 The Score writes that the two sides have had only “initial” talks but cautions that no deal is close at this time. Asked directly about the rumored talks, Moncada himself said he was not aware of any current talks but voiced a desire to stay with the White Sox “for a very long time” (link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).

Moncada, 24, is already under club control through the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for arbitration until next winter. Both Fox and Levine note that a potential extension would likely be the largest in White Sox franchise history. Currently, Yasmani Grandal’s four-year, $73MM deal is the largest the Sox have ever issued.

The switch-hitting Moncada was one of the highest-profile international free agents in history and agreed to a $31.5MM signing bonus with the Red Sox back in 2015. He was arguably the game’s top overall prospect when Boston sent him to Chicago as the headliner in the Chris Sale blockbuster, and while it took some time, Moncada broke out in a big way this past season.

In 559 plate appearances in 2019, Moncada hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 34 doubles, five triples and 10 stolen bases — all while cutting his strikeout rate by nearly six percent (from 33.4 to 27.5). Reviews of his glovework were a bit mixed; Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at -7 runs, but Ultimate Zone Rating (4.3) and Outs Above Average (5) both graded Moncada as an above-average defender.

As for what to expect from the extension itself, the number of recent comparables aren’t exactly plentiful. Alex Bregman secured a five-year, $100MM deal a year ago when he was in the same service class that Moncada finds himself right now. That deal technically begins in 2020 and bought out Bregman’s three arbitration years and two would-be free-agent campaigns. Moncada’s 2019 season wasn’t as strong as Bregman’s 2018 platform, but his power numbers and counting stats will play similarly well in arbitration, giving him strong earning potential from 2021-23 (his would-be arb seasons). If the Sox are comfortable offering a term of six or more seasons, then a Moncada extension could well approach or even exceed that $100MM plateau.

From a broad perspective, an extension for Moncada would represent the continuation of the White Sox’ efforts to keep the young core they spent years trying to acquire for the long haul. Chicago signed outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert to long-term deals before either played his first MLB game. Shortstop Tim Anderson was signed to a six-year deal with a pair of club options prior to the 2017 season, and just this past weekend, left-hander Aaron Bummer was signed to a five-year contract.

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Yoan Moncada Changes Agencies

By Connor Byrne | February 11, 2020 at 11:06pm CDT

White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada has changed representation and is now a client of Movement Management Group, as agent Alex Cotto posted on Instagram (hat tip to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN).

Still just 24 years old, Moncada already has one lucrative payday under his belt. The Cuba native joined the Red Sox on a $31.5MM signing bonus in March 2015. Moncada changed Sox shortly after when Boston traded him to Chicago in a blockbuster centered on left-hander Chris Sale in December 2016.

It took a little while for Moncada to live up to the considerable hype he generated as a prospect, but he now looks like one of the most valuable players in the game. He broke out last year, his first full season at third after moving from second, slashing .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs and 10 stole bases over 559 plate appearances. Just 14 position players outdid Moncada’s 5.7 fWAR.

Judging by their aggressive moves this offseason, the long-struggling White Sox expect to contend for a playoff berth in 2020. Moncada’s a key piece of that puzzle, and with that in mind, he’s someone they could try to extend. No matter what, he’s in line to remain one of their most integral players for the foreseeable future. The switch-hitter still has another pre-arbitration campaign left and won’t become eligible to reach free agency until after the 2023 campaign.

Moncada’s change in representation will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agent info on thousands of Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions within, please let us know: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

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Infield Notes: Odor, Padres, Hayes, Moncada

By Connor Byrne | August 30, 2019 at 1:33am CDT

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels suggested last week the club could reduce beleaguered second baseman Rougned Odor’s playing time. Manager Chris Woodward was even more aggressive Thursday in saying the Rangers need better from Odor, telling TR Sullivan of MLB.com that he’s “obviously got to show some improvement.” Otherwise, the Rangers will “have to make some decisions,” Woodward said, adding: “We are willing to withstand some lack of production, but this is the big leagues. I hate to say it, but you’ve got to be good to play every day, and he knows.” Woodward believes the rest of the season will be critical for Odor, who has turned in abysmal production for the second time since 2017. Prospect Nick Solak has been eating into Odor’s playing time of late as a result. Contrary to the inexpensive Solak, Odor’s causing a sizable dent in the Texas payroll. He’ll earn a guaranteed $36MM from 2020-22, including a $3MM buyout for ’23. Finances notwithstanding, Woodward will be reluctant to continue penciling Odor into the lineup if he continues putting up bottom-of-the-barrel numbers.

  • The Padres are anticipating a heated second base competition next spring between Luis Urias and Ty France, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Urias is the more hyped player of the duo, as he’s not far removed from a run as an elite prospect, but San Diego doesn’t want to simply hand him a starting job. The 22-year-old has recorded weak offensive totals since he debuted in the majors last season, having logged a .191/.302/.289 line through 202 trips to the plate, though Urias has been much more productive this month. He also laid waste to Triple-A pitching earlier this season. France, 25, has been even better this season at that level, where he has performed like one of the premier hitters in the minors with a jaw-dropping .399/.477/.770 line and 27 home runs over 348 PA. However, like Urias, France hasn’t done much at the big league level to this point.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington is seemingly leaving the door open for the club to promote one of its top prospects, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, when rosters expand this Sunday. The 22-year-old hasn’t thrived overall this season in his first action at Triple-A, where he has batted .266/.334/.420 in 459 plate appearances, but he has caught fire since a slow start. Asked if the defensively adept Hayes’ recent success with the bat could lead to his first major league call-up, Huntington told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (subscription required), “It could in theory.” However, as you’d expect, Huntington went on to indicate the Pirates don’t want to rush him to the game’s highest level. With that in mind, Pittsburgh “probably” won’t summon Hayes to the majors this year, Biertempfel writes.
  • White Sox star Yoan Moncada has already changed positions once during his short career. After playing second base from 2017-18, he has lined up at third for the entirety of this season. While Moncada told Scott Merkin of MLB.com he expects to continue at the hot corner “for a very, very long time,” he’d be willing to move elsewhere if it helps the team. That’s unlikely to happen, per Merkin, though he notes the White Sox could do a 180 if they’re able to land, say, third baseman Anthony Rendon in free agency. In that case, Moncada could shift back to second or even the outfield – two areas that have been weak points for Chicago in 2019.
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Chicago White Sox Ke'Bryan Hayes Luis Urias Notes Pittsburgh Pirates Rougned Odor San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Ty France Yoan Moncada

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