The Chicago Cubs, who earlier this winter traded third baseman Isaac Paredes in the Kyle Tucker deal, could look to a free agent across town for Paredes' replacement.
Yoan Moncada isn't the biggest name in this year's third base free agent crop. (Alex Bregman holds that title.) As teams wait to see where Bregman lands, the market for Moncada appears to be held up.
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Bregman, who reportedly rejected the Astros' six-year, $156 million contract offer, is likely too rich for the Cubs' blood. Moncada, a free agent after hitting .254 across the last eight seasons with the crosstown White Sox, might not be.
According to a new report Sunday from Francys Romero, the Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays all "remain interested" in Moncada.
Several teams, including the Cubs, Mariners, and Blue Jays, remain interested in 3B Yoan Moncada, per sources.
The third baseman market continues to wait on what happens with Alex Bregman.
"The third baseman market continues to wait on what happens with Alex Bregman," Romero notes.
Moncada, 29, had an up and down career with the White Sox. The last three seasons were plagued by injuries and torpedoed his once-promising stock.
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In 2024, Moncada was limited to 12 games because of an adductor injury. In 2023 he was limited to 92 games because of a back ailment, but slashed .260/.305/.425 with 11 home runs in 92 games when he was available.
In 2022, injuries to Moncada's hamstring and oblique limited him to 104 games, when he slashed .212/.273/.353 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs.
In 2025, Moncada will be four years removed from his last healthy season. He slashed .263/.375/.412 with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs in 2021 — a glimpse of his potential as a former Top-10 prospect.
The White Sox acquired Moncada from the Boston Red Sox in the Dec. 2016 trade that sent Chris Sale to Boston.
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For teams trying to upgrade a position of weakness on a budget, Moncada could represent a high-upside play on a short-term contract.
Besides Paredes, third baseman Cam Smith — among the Cubs' top prospects — also went to Houston in the Tucker trade. They previously traded third baseman Christopher Morel to the Tampa Bay Rays last July. Another member of the Cubs' third-base rotation in 2025, Patrick Wisdom, signed in Korea in December.
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The Mariners allowed their primary third baseman in 2024, Josh Rojas, to walk in free agency. Rojas reportedly agreed to terms with the White Sox this week, giving offering Chicago a more versatile option for their infield rotation than Moncada.
The Mariners have been linked to free agent infielder Justin Turner, whom they acquired in a midseason trade last year. However, they have yet to consummate an agreement; Turner's market might also be held up by Bregman's.
The Blue Jays could be eyeing Moncada as a bounceback candidate who can move Ernie Clement back into a utility role if he succeeds. If Moncada's injury luck betrays him again in 2025, Clement could be the Jays' primary third baseman. Bregman has also been linked to Toronto this winter.
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