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Yoan Moncada has endured a brutal past three seasons amid the Chicago White Sox's continued fall in the MLB's totem pole. Moncada has gone through them all, from suffering drop-offs in his production, to enduring a plethora of injury woes. The third baseman played in just 12 games during the 2024 season due to a left adductor strain, although when he's healthy and at his best, he can produce a ton of value both at the plate and on the field.
Moncada's upside makes him quite the enticing target for teams looking to bolster their infield depth. While there are no guarantees that the 29-year-old will be back to being at his best, his age suggests that he may still possess some bounce-back potential. To that end, fringe playoff hopefuls such as the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly looking into the possibility of signing Moncada, as per MLB insider Francys Romero.
Romero also noted that the Seattle Mariners could be another team that throws its hat into the ring that is the Moncada sweepstakes. These three teams have been on the hunt for a postseason spot over the past two seasons, and Moncada could be a low-cost addition with some sufficient upside that could make pursuing him worth their while.
However, there may not be any movement on the Moncada front until after a resolution arrives on the Alex Bregman front. Bregman is the best third baseman available on the market, and with the Cubs and Blue Jays having the financial capability to move in that department, Moncada is shaping up to be nothing more than a fallback option, which is understandable considering how his career has shaken out over the past few seasons.
Assessing the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Mariners' third-base situations amid Yoan Moncada interest
The Cubs have a glaring hole at third base after they sent Isaac Paredes to the Houston Astros in the trade that netted them Kyle Tucker. It's hard to envision Chicago entering the 2025 season with Vidal Brujan and Miles Mastrobuoni as their main options at the hot corner.
There is also a ton of uncertainty for the Blue Jays at that position; Ernie Clement played the bulk of innings for the team at the hot corner, and Toronto is crying out for an upgrade at that position if they're serious about their hopes of contending for a playoff spot.
The same goes for the Mariners, as they had Josh Rojas fill the everyday role for the team at third base. He put up an OPS of .641. To say that Alex Bregman or Yoan Moncada wouldn't be a huge upgrade over those options would be a flat-out lie.
