New York Yankees Among Teams Monitoring High-Upside Infielder

With Gleyber Torres' return uncertain, the Yankees are reportedly eyeing an infielder they once pursued as an international free agent.

Aug 29, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada (10) during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Nearly a decade ago, the New York Yankees aggressively pursued Yoán Moncada when he was the top international free agent coming out of Cuba. They held two private workouts with the infielder in Tampa before he ultimately signed with the Boston Red Sox for a $31.5 million signing bonus.

Fast forward to November 2024, and Moncada is a free agent once again after nine MLB seasons. It appears the Yankees' interest in the switch-hitting infielder has endured over the years.

On Wednesday, MLB reporter Francys Romero revealed that the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners are among the teams closely monitoring Moncada in free agency. Romero added that more than five teams have expressed interest in his services.

Sources: INF Yoan Moncada is generating interest in the free-agent market.

More than five MLB teams are interested in Moncada. Among the teams that have monitored him are the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Mariners.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) November 13, 2024

Moncada, 29, appeared in just 12 games in 2024 after suffering a left adductor strain in April. Though he was activated from the injured list on Sept. 16, the Chicago White Sox limited his playing time, opting to give younger players more opportunities during the final stretch of a record-setting losing season.

After eight injury-riddled seasons in Chicago, the White Sox chose not to exercise Moncada’s $25 million club option for 2025, instead paying him a $5 million buyout to part ways.

Moncada had been acquired from the Red Sox in 2016 as part of a blockbuster trade for left-handed ace Chris Sale, which also included pitcher Michael Kopech and two other prospects. At the time, Moncada was baseball’s No. 1 prospect.

His best season came in 2019, when he slashed .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 79 RBIs, and a 5.2 WAR in 132 games. That performance prompted the White Sox to sign him to a five-year, $70 million extension the following offseason. 

But his production dipped in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, where he hit just .225/.320/.385 with six home runs, 24 RBIs, and a 0.6 WAR in 52 games.

Moncada showed flashes of a rebound in 2021, posting a .263/.375/.412 slash line with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a 4.0 WAR in 144 games. However, injuries limited him to just 208 games over the next three seasons, and he posted a subpar wRC+ of 88 during that stretch.

Despite the inconsistencies at the plate and frequent injuries, Moncada has remained a steady defender. Over his career, he has posted a .963 fielding percentage, playing 526 games at third base and 203 games at second base—both positions that could be of need to the Yankees, depending on the team’s actions this offseason.

Gleyber Torres, who has been the Yankees’ everyday second baseman for most of his seven-year career, is currently a free agent. If he signs elsewhere, the Yankees could shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third base to second, creating a vacancy at the hot corner.

Signing Moncada would give the Yankees the flexibility to either keep Chisholm at third—a position he learned on the fly after joining New York at the trade deadline—or move him back to second, depending on the team's preferences. It would also provide manager Aaron Boone with added versatility in setting his lineups.

The Yankees did not extend Torres the $21.05 million qualifying offer, but ESPN's Kiley McDaniel still projects him to secure a $17.5 million AAV on the open market. Due to Moncada’s recent injury history and inconsistent production, he is expected to come at a much lower price, making him an intriguing buy-low bounce back candidate.