Angels add veteran Yo¨¢n Moncada to stockpile of infielders (source)
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The Angels are adding a veteran corner-infield bat to the lineup, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5 million with Yo¨¢n Moncada, a source told MLB.com¡¯s Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The club has not confirmed the move, which was first reported by MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
Moncada gives the Angels a seasoned option at third base, as Anthony Rendon is expected to move into more of a backup role. The Angels also signed utlityman Kevin Newman to a one-year deal earlier this offseason, while also trading for Scott Kingery. Just last week, they signed Moncada¡¯s former longtime White Sox teammate Tim Anderson to a Minor League deal to compete for a spot at shortstop, while also signing corner infielder J.D. Davis to a Minor League deal.
Moncada is coming off a nine-season run with the White Sox during which he didn¡¯t quite live up to the sky-high expectations that traveled with him to Chicago in December 2016. That¡¯s when a 21-year-old Moncada was acquired by the White Sox from Boston as part of a five-player trade that sent left-handed ace Chris Sale to the Red Sox.
Moncada entered 2016 as MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 7 overall prospect, and by the start of his first season with the White Sox, he was the No. 2 prospect. Some considered him a faster version of Robinson Can¨®. But once he reached free agency this offseason, Moncada had produced a .254 average, a .331 on-base percentage, one 20-homer season and no years with more than 12 stolen bases with Chicago.
Moncada¡¯s best season came in 2019, when he slashed .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs across 559 plate appearances. But Moncada¡¯s upside as a hitter has often been capped by strikeouts. His career strikeout rate is 29.2%, and he recorded a K rate above 30% in 2017, ¡®18 and ¡®20.
The 29-year-old infielder has been hampered by injuries in more recent seasons and has missed at least 58 games in each of the past three years. In 2024, a left adductor strain suffered on April 9 limited Moncada to only 12 games.
¡°[The injuries] definitely affected me and affected my ability to display all I could do,¡± Moncada said through interpreter Billy Russo in September. ¡°But I think I¡¯ve done it when I¡¯ve been healthy. I wouldn¡¯t say it has been bad. I have a good career here. It could have been better, for sure.¡±
Defensively, Moncada came up as a second baseman, but he was moved to the hot corner in 2019 and has been serviceable since. He has compiled 11 Outs Above Average over the past six seasons, although his OAA total is minus-1 since the beginning of 2023.
But Moncada will benefit from the tutelage of manager Ron Washington, who is considered a defensive guru, as well as with infield coach Ryan Goins. Goins and Moncada were teammates on the White Sox from 2019-20. Moncada was also teammates with Anderson from 2017-23, forming a middle infield pair for two years before Moncada moved to the hot corner.