Despite only appearing in 12 games last season former White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada is reportedly generating interest from several teams on the free agent market.
According to MLB insider Francys Romero, sources have indicated that the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Mariners are among the teams interested in signing Moncada.
The White Sox declined Moncada’s $25 million option after eight underwhelming seasons on the South Side. During his tenure with the White Sox Moncada slashed .254/.332/.425 with 93 home runs, 338 RBIs, and a 28.8 percent strikeout rate. His 2019 season where he reached career highs in home runs (25), RBIs (79), and batting average (.315), marked the only time Moncada posted 20-plus home runs and 70-plus RBIs.
While Moncada may not have been productive as of late, he serves as an intriguing free agent. His value is at an all-time low making an affordable option with high upside. Moncada failed to live up to his top-prospect billing he showed flashes of potential.
During the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he emerged as the face of the Cuban national team. In his first 19 at-bats, he is slashing .421/.522/.737, which is good enough for a 1.259 OPS, which helped carry the Cuban offense through the first round. He also gets on base. Moncada has posted a walk rate of 10 percent or more in five of his nine seasons in the show. Ironically, it is exactly the type of free agent the White Sox will be targeting this offseason as they look for patchwork solutions to improve the offense.
Injuries have plagued Moncada throughout his career. In the last eight seasons, he has only played in 62 percent of the White Sox games. Last season he was limited to just 45 plate appearances after suffering an abductor strain in early April. As the season wore along the writing was on the wall that Moncada’s days in Chicago were numbered. When the 29-year-old third baseman returned from injury interim manager Grady Sizemore told reporters that his playing time would be limited because the team wanted to prioritize giving Bryan Ramos and Miguel Vargas playing time.
