White Sox decline options on Moncada, Stassi

CHICAGO -- Yoán Moncada’s run with the White Sox apparently has come to a close, with the team declining a $25 million club option for the 2025 season on the third baseman Friday. Moncada will receive a $5 million buyout as part of a five-year, $70 million extension agreed upon on March 6, 2020.

This news certainly doesn’t come as a surprise, but represents the exit by one of the last vestiges of the previous White Sox rebuild. Moncada, 29, also symbolized the positive and negative, the excitement and disappointment, of that same stretch, which resulted in two playoff appearances, two playoff victories and one American League Central title in 2021.

Moncada was acquired from Boston on Dec. 6, 2016 as part of a five-player deal including World Series champion and fellow top prospect Michael Kopech in exchange for left-hander Chris Sale. He slashed .254/.331/.424 over eight seasons, 739 games and 3,142 plate appearances, with his top effort coming in 2019, when he launched 25 of his 93 career home runs in Chicago.

But injuries limited Moncada to just three seasons of over 130 games played. He played in only 12 games in 2024 because of a left adductor strain suffered on April 9 in Cleveland. Moncada returned on Sept. 16 but had just one at-bat the rest of the season.

“It has been a good career with ups and downs,” Moncada said on Sept. 20 in San Diego through interpreter Billy Russo. “The cons are the injuries.

“That definitely affected me and affected my ability to display all I could do. 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.”

The White Sox also declined the $7.5 million option on catcher Max Stassi ($500,000 buyout), bringing the 40-man roster total to 37. Stassi, 33, started the season on the 10-day injured list with left hip inflammation and played in five games for Triple-A Charlotte on an injury rehabilitation assignment before being returned from the assignment on April 10.

Stassi was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 15. Stassi, who was acquired from Atlanta on December 9, 2023, underwent season-ending hip surgery on June 7. Korey Lee and Chuckie Robinson are the catchers currently on the White Sox 40-man roster, although Edgar Quero, the No. 4 White Sox prospect and No. 59 overall, per MLB Pipeline, figures to be part of the backstop plan in ‘25 and beyond.

Quero was with the White Sox taxi squad during the final week of the 2024 season.

“I feel like home,” Quero said. “I’m trying to play baseball wherever I go. I feel good here for sure.”

Both Moncada and Stassi become free agents. Moncada, who hit .275 in 40 at-bats this past season, has a laid-back, low-key demeanor sometimes mistaken for indifference, but the talented switch-hitter knows his game and knows what he’s all about.

“I actually don’t know what the perception other teams have of me, but I’m not concerned about it,” Moncada said. “Again, I’m not concerned about my future. I know that I have to wait until the free agent market opens up and we’ll see. I can still play for many years. My main thing is just staying healthy and if I have the health and I can play every day, I know I can play for multiple years.

“Honestly, yes, it has been very difficult just watching the struggles that we have in this year and not being able to help. But I think that’s baseball. It definitely is one of the hardest parts about this season. Just seeing all that and not being able to be here to help. There’s not much you can do when you are in a situation like that.”