Moncada Rerturns But Faces Limited Role As White Sox Look To Future

Yoan Moncada is back in a White Sox uniform but that doesn’t mean he will see much of the field in the team’s final eleven games. 

Moncada returned to the White Sox active roster for the first time since suffering an abductor strain on April 10, landing him on the 60-day IL. The injury occurred the same day former manager Pedro Grifol told reporters that Moncada was nursing a nagging hip injury. However,  Moncada tried his best to stay on the field and help a depleted White Sox lineup.  Even with the hip issue, Moncada attempted to hustle out of the box and leg out an infield single which ultimately caused him to go down. Before the injury, he was one of the few bright spots in the White Sox lineup, hitting .282 with a .774 OPS.

As his lengthy rehab process dragged on, Moncada cited continued soreness as the reason for the delayed absence. He was left out of the starting lineup in the White Sox 8-4 victory over the Angels the night of his return. At this point, it seems clear that both parties are ready to go their separate ways. 

Interim manager Grady Sizemore has already stated that Miguel Vargas and Bryan Ramos will be prioritized at third base. The goal is to give the 24-year-old Vargas and 22-year-old Ramos as much playing time as possible for the rest of the season. Vargas got the nod at the hot corner on Monday, while Ramos was penciled in as the designated hitter.

As for Moncada, Sizemore says he will try to find spots for Moncada where he can. Moncada is in the fifth and final year of his $70 million contract. The White Sox have a $25 million club option for next year, given that the team has already announced its plans to cut payroll this offseason there is little to no chance that the option is picked up. 

Moncada is going to struggle to find anywhere near $25 million on the open market given that he has played in just 738 games during his eight seasons in Chicago. If appearing in just 62 percent of games isn’t bad enough the time he has been on the field has been massively underwhelming. After joining the organization as the top prospect in all of baseball, Moncada has delivered just one season of 20-plus home runs and has yet to drive in more than 79 RBIs. During his eight seasons on the South Side, he is slashing a pedestrian .254/.332/.425 with a 106 OPS+. 

It’s a disappointing tenure for a player who had so much promise. His 2019 season where he reached career highs in home runs (25), RBIs (79), and batting average (.315) serves as a reminder of what could have been.