The Chicago Cubs are reportedly interested in corner infielder Yoan Moncada of their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox. The Cubs had sold their starting third baseman, Isaac Paredes, and first-round draft selection, Cam Smith, to the Houston Astros for right fielder Kyle Tucker. That has created a gap at the hot corner that the team will have to fill. There is still much internal competitiveness. However, adding a seasoned veteran to the position will help younger players transition to the major leagues.
Cubs Pursuing Crosstown Rival’s Corner Infielder
A Promising Recruit from Cuba
Moncada was 20 when he signed as an international free agent with the Boston Red Sox in 2015. He was an excellent base runner, stealing 49 bases in 52 tries in his rookie season of Single-A baseball. He was selected Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year for 2016. That year, he hit.294/.407/.511, with 31 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs, 62 RBI, and 45 stolen bases. He made his major league debut with the Red Sox that year.
After being dealt to the White Sox, Moncada enjoyed a breakout season in 2018. That season, he became the sixth under-23 player in White Sox history to hit 30 doubles, 15 home runs, and 60 RBI. This puts him in the company of Chet Lemon (1977), Frank Thomas (1991), Paul Konerko (1999), and Carlos Lee (1999).
An Up and Down Career on Chicago’s Southside
Despite showing early promise, Moncada’s performances have been inconsistent thus far. He had his greatest season in 2019, hitting.315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 79 RBI, 34 doubles, and five triples in 511 at-bats. His last complete season was in 2021. In 520 at-bats that season, he had a.787 OPS, 14 home runs, 61 RBI, and 33 triples.
With increased power came slower speeds and lower stolen base totals. That tradeoff might be acceptable if the power figures were more constant. Moncada has hit more than 20 home runs once in his three full seasons in the majors, dating back to 2016. However, the six-foot-two, two hundred-twenty-pound cornerback has a decent career OPS of.755. He’s also hit more than 30 doubles in three separate seasons.
Moncada’s fielding performance has also had its ups and downs during his career. According to Baseball Savant, his career peak came in 2019, when he was at or near the top of the league in most hitting and defensive statistics.
An Over-Valued and Underperforming Free Agent
The issue for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is: what version of Moncada will he get? His current market worth is $1.5 million, and the White Sox turned down his $25 million deal in 2025 in lieu of a $5 million buyout. His strikeout percentage over the last two seasons is 29.4 percent. All that being said. However, this is a guy in the prime of his career who has demonstrated significant potential at times.
This is a difficult issue for the Cubs executive management to address. Salary issues, Moncada’s inconsistent productivity, and the continued quest for the last components required to create a postseason contender should give Hoyer pause. On the other hand, he does not appear to have a particularly solid third-base alternative for next season.
The Cubs’ third basemen are Miles Mastrobuoni, a converted middle infielder, and Vidal Bruján, who was just signed. Minor leaguers Matt Shaw, 23, and Gage Workman, 25, will attend spring training in February.
The Cubs must prioritize upgrading their corner infielders. But whether Hoyer decides to bring Moncada across from the Southside or take his chances with the players on hand, it feels like a gamble.