All longtime Chicago White Sox third baseman and former top prospect Yoán Moncada wanted was a chance to prove himself. He now has that opportunity with the Los Angeles Angels, who are in dire need of power and consistency at third base.
Earlier this month, the Angels signed Moncada to a one-year, $ 5 million contract. He is poised to start the season as the Angels’ third baseman, particularly since injury-prone veteran Anthony Rendon has faced another setback in his recovery from hip surgery. “I’m ready to go,” Moncada stated.
Moncada was widely regarded as a top-5 prospect before his 2016 debut with the Red Sox, with Baseball America and Major League Baseball ranking him No. 2 ahead of the 2017 season. The Red Sox traded him to the White Sox in a deal to acquire Chris Sale, and Moncada went on to spend nine seasons with Chicago.
While one might expect the White Sox to have come out ahead in that trade, given they got nearly a decade from a top prospect, Moncada’s performance was inconsistent. He recorded a .254 batting average with 93 home runs and 338 RBIs, with much of that output coming during an impressive 2019 season. However, injuries restricted him to just 104 games over the last two years.
He missed most of 2024 due to a left abductor strain, and even when healthy, he found little playing time in September. “It’s very unfortunate that I have that history of injuries, but now I’m very thankful that those injuries are behind me,” Moncada told The Athletic
Yoán Moncada has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career. 😤 pic.twitter.com/YLtRAl9OFR
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 9, 2023
“And I feel healthy and ready to play baseball,” he stated. According to The Athletic, the Angels have utilized an astonishing 30 third basemen since Rendon’s arrival in 2020. Whether this is favorable for Moncada, considering his own health challenges, is a different topic. Could Moncada potentially step in as Rendon’s long-term replacement? Rendon will be a free agent after the 2026 season, and his history of injuries makes a new contract with the Angels highly unlikely. It’s hard to believe that five years ago, we would be talking about Moncada, rather than Rendon, as a potential starting third baseman for the Angels in 2025.
Who says baseball isn’t exciting?
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