Why Royals Should Target $70 Million Former No. 1 Overall Prospect In Free Agency
Will Maikel Garcia be the Opening Day third baseman for the Kansas City Royals?
Garcia, a 24-year-old speedster, struggled mightily in 2024, his second full season in the big leagues. He failed to display the on-base skills required of a top-of-the-order bat, and he's been named as a potential trade candidate that the Royals could flip to a team searching for infield depth.
Would the Royals consider taking a shot on a high-risk, high-reward free agent if Garcia does get dealt?
Back in 2017, Yoan Moncada was the number-one overall prospect in MLB, playing in the Boston Red Sox's system. He was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Chris Sale to Boston, and has since had a roller coaster of a career with the Chicago White Sox.
After being inked to a five-year, $70 million extension following his excellent 2019 season, Moncada's career has been marred by injuries and inconsistency. The White Sox made the obvious decision to decline his $25 million club option for 2025, so he's on the open market now.
There's still hope for Moncada, who was recently named on a list of free agents with "huge buy-low upside" by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter. And the Royals could be a perfect fit to help him get his feet back under him and produce at the big-league level.
"(Moncada's) age and raw tools make him an intriguing buy-low flier, though he may need to earn his way onto an Opening Day roster this spring on a minor league pact," Reuter said.
One might not expect it, based on all the setbacks he's had, but Moncada has actually been above average in his career to this point. From 2019 to 2021, he had a 123 OPS+ and 9.8 bWAR in 328 games. Overall, his career OPS+ is a solid 106.
Entering his age-30 season, Moncada isn't a "future superstar" anymore, but he could still be a higher upside play than Garcia at third base. If the Royals can get him on a one-year deal and flip Garcia for depth and pitching help, that might be the most economical way to build a contender.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org