Former White Sox Star Yoan Moncada Suffers Foot Injury as Free Agent Market Heats Up

Free agent third baseman Yoan Moncada will not play again in the Puerto Rican Winter League this year after hitting a foul ball off his right foot on Sunday, according to Beisbol FR’s Francys Romero.

Moncada, who spent the last eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox, had his $25 million club option declined in October. While he was able to collect a $5 million buyout as part of the transaction, that still left the 29-year-old without a home for the 2025 season.

Per Romero, Moncada and his agency are looking to avoid any additional injuries as he progresses through contract negotiations with MLB clubs. He had already suffered a hand injury while representing Cuba at the 2024 WBSC Premier12 tournament in November.

There was an expectation that Moncada could land a big league contract “in the coming days,” according to Romero, but it remains to be seen if those talks make it to the finish line that quickly.

The Toronto Blue Jays were among the teams said to be interested in Moncada earlier this month, while the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees had been connected to him at different points this offseason.

Yoan Moncada won’t play again in the Puerto Rican winter league after taking a foul ball to his right foot on Sunday.

He and his agency want to avoid injuries. Moncada could reach an agreement with an MLB team in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/OViqlHzcaD
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 15, 2024

Moncada was limited to 12 games in 2024 due to a left adductor strain. It marked the latest in a long line of injuries that have plagued the infielder over the past few seasons, derailing his once-promising career.

When the Boston Red Sox traded Moncada to Chicago as part of the Chris Sale deal in 2016, he was a consensus top-five prospect in baseball. He eventually hit .315 with 25 home runs, 79 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .915 OPS and a 5.2 WAR in 2019, finishing 21st AL MVP voting.

The White Sox awarded Moncada with a five-year, $70 million extension the following offseason, only to see his production immediately tail off. Throughout the full length of his contract, Moncada hit .244 with a .721 OPS, averaging 17 home runs, 71 RBI, three stolen bases and a 2.6 WAR per 162 games.

And while Moncada appeared in 86.1% of Chicago's games from 2017 to 2021, he saw action in just 42.8% of their contests from 2022 to 2024.

With injuries already playing a major role in Moncada’s big league career to this point, his suitors will surely want him to enter Spring Training at full strength. He wasn't exactly boosting his value down in Puerto Rico, either, going 5-for-20 with one RBI, two walks, zero extra-base hits, zero stolen bases and seven strikeouts in six games.

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