Signing Yoan Moncada Could Present One Huge Problem For Seattle Mariners in 2025

The Mariners continue to be linked to the former top prospect in baseball, but if they are looking to alleviate strikeout woes in 2025, he won't help.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada (10) hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2023. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

On Sunday, we heard that the Seattle Mariners continue to be interested in free agent third baseman and former top prospect Yoan Moncada.

It makes sense on a multitude of fronts.

First, Moncada will be affordable. Unfortunately, this appears to be most important to the M's, who seem averse to spending money this offseason. Seattle has said they only have $15-20 million to play with, so acquiring a bounceback candidate like Moncada for somewhere between $1-5 million would fit with what they want.

Second, Moncada plays third base, which is one of several holes in the infield on this roster, and third, he has a prior pedigree and reputation. With that, there is at least a chance of some upside.

He did hit 25 homers back in 2019. He also posted a .263 average with a .375 on-base percentage back in 2021. He hit .260 back in 2023. He's still only 29 years old but injuries remain a huge part of his career story.

He played just 12 games in 2024 after playing 92 in 2023 and 104 in 2022. He was a durable player from 2018-2021 but hasn't been since.

The injuries are the main deterrent against signing Moncada, but there's also the strikeout issues. The M's led baseball in strikeouts in 2024 and reportedly want to change their plan and approach in 2025, but a Moncada signing doesn't line up with that.

Per MLBTradeRumors:

Given the club’s wide-open third base competition, the prospect of everyday playing time is one that would surely appeal to Moncada if it were to be made available to him. With that being said, Moncada’s 29.4% strikeout rate over the past two seasons could give the Mariners some level of pause given their efforts to cut down on strikeouts in their lineup over the past couple of years.

The Mariners finished second in the American League West in 2024 at 85-77.

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