Yoan Moncada Signs with Los Angeles Angels for One Year and Five Million Dollars

February 12, 2025

Cuban baseball player Yoan Moncada, who was a free agent in the Major Leagues after completing his contract with the Chicago White Sox, reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Angels, the team where he will play the 2025 season for five million dollars, according to MLB Network sports journalist Jon Heyman in his X profile.

Before this contract was confirmed, journalist Francys Romero reported on his X profile that the Chicago Cubs "expressed strong interest in Yoan Moncada and even made an offer of approximately three million dollars for one season." Additionally, according to the Cuban sports outlet Swing Completo, the Cienfuegos-born player was in the sights of the New York Yankees.

However, Moncada will head to Los Angeles and, according to Martí Noticias, "will occupy third base as the starter, following the disappointment the team has experienced with Anthony Rendón."

The official MLB website highlighted that "Moncada comes off spending nine seasons with the White Sox, a period in which he failed to fully meet the extremely high expectations that accompanied him when he arrived in Chicago in December 2016."

"Moncada began 2016 as the No. 7 prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings and, by the start of his first year with the White Sox, he was already No. 2. Some considered him a faster version of Dominican Robinson Canó. However, when he reached free agency this offseason, Moncada had accumulated a batting average of .254, an on-base percentage of .331, only one season with at least 20 home runs and none with more than 12 stolen bases in Chicago," it reported.

MLB also highlighted that "his best season was 2019, when he posted an offensive line of .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs in 559 plate appearances. Nevertheless, his offensive potential has been limited by strikeouts. His career strikeout rate is 29.2%, and in 2017, 2018 and 2020 he had a rate above 30%."

"The 29-year-old infielder has dealt with injuries in recent years and has missed at least 58 games in each of the last three seasons. In 2024, a left adductor strain suffered on April 9 limited Moncada to just 12 games," the baseball organization lamented.

"[The injuries] definitely affected me and affected my ability to show everything I could do," Moncada said in September. "But I think I've shown it when I've been healthy. I wouldn't say it's been bad. I've had a good career here. It could have been better, of course."

In this way, the uncertainty surrounding Moncada's immediate future is resolved, as he leaves free agency, where major names in current Cuban baseball still remain, such as José Abreu, Yasmani Grandal and Yulieski Gurriel.