Trade Scenario Nets Yankees Ex-$63 Million MLB No. 1 Prospect to Plug Infield Gap

Should the Yankees look to Moncada for infield help? - Pinstripe Alley

The New York Yankees are riding a wave of success in the American League East. Winning 15 of their last 20 games, including a series-opening victory over their arch-rivals the Boston Red Sox on Friday, the Bronx Bombers sit five comfortable games ahead of the second-place Toronto Blue Jays in the division, and entered the weekend with MLB’s second-best record.

But all is still not completely well in the Bronx. Since New York lost seven-year second-baseman Gleyber Torres to free agency over the offseason, Yankee manager Aaron Boone has been playing mix-and-match with his infield – an infield which has also been punctured by a series of injuries.

To finally fill that infield gap, Pinstripes Nation writer Sara Molnick proposed a trade target for the Yankees who could provide stability at third base, a position that has been in flux all season, and by extension settle down the whole infield situation.

 

To do that, the Yankees – under Molnick’s plan – would go out and get a player who was once the most highly prized prospect in all of baseball, but whose career never reached its expected potential, mainly due to injuries. A change of scenery to a winning organization, perhaps, could put him on the right path.

In 2017, Cuban infielder Yoán Moncada was ranked as the overall No. 1 prospect in the game by MLB Pipeline. Just two years earlier, the Boston Red Sox won a bidding war for the then-19-year-old prospect, paying him a $31.5 million signing bonus, at the time a record for an international free agent.

Because the massive bonus exceeded the Red Sox’ limit for international signings, the team was hit with a hefty luxury tax bill, bringing its total price tag for signing Moncada to $63 million.

But Moncada appeared in just eight games for the Red Sox, all in 2016, with four hits. After that, Boston packaged him in a trade with the Chicago White Sox for lefty ace Chris Sale.

Eight years after that, Moncada is now with the Los Angeles Angels, on a one-year, $5 million contract.

“Moncada has shown flashes of his potential, with a .237 average, sixhome runs, and 19 RBIs. Currently on the injured list with right knee inflammation, his health status will be a key factor in any trade considerations,” Molnick wrote.

She listed the factors in favor a trade for Moncada as the fact that he is a “switch-hitter with power potential,” and “could be a bounce-back candidate in a new environment.”

Perhaps most important, Molnick wrote, Moncada remains “versatile across (the) corner infield.”

Dealing for Moncada would likely be a low-risk, potentially high-reward proposition that would cost the Yankees little in the way of prospect assets. At the age of 30, he may now have an extra jolt of motivation, as he approaches the now-or-never point in his career.

 

Related Posts

REPORT: Lakers Predicted to Swap LeBron James for Ex-Warriors Champion in NBA Trade Proposal

The Los Angeles Lakers send LeBron James to the San Antonio Spurs in this wild NBA trade idea Apr 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers…

REPORT: Tyler Glasnow talks going deep for Dodgers after extended IL stint

After an extended run on the injury list, Tyler Glasnow talks recapturing his vintage form with the Dodgers. When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired and then extended Tyler…

KING IS COMEBACK!! Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani ends 70-year MLB drought in bonkers win vs. Twins

Shohei Ohtani keeps on making history with the Dodgers, who took care of business against the Twins on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Dodgers finally eked out their first series…

Breaking: Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Could Miss Friday’s Game vs Red Sox For Personal Reason, Says Dave Roberts

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts could miss Friday’s series opener against his former team, the Boston Red Sox, due to a personal reason, per manager Dave…

Chase Utley’s non-apology about his dirtiest slide rightly infuriates Mets fans

Every sports fanbase has a rival player they absolutely despise. For the New York Mets, that player they hate so much is undoubtedly former Philadelphia Phillie

3 NY Mets trade deadline mistakes to avoid at all costs

We all have an idea of what we want the New York Mets to do at the trade deadline. What about the actions we want them to avoid? David Stearns had his share of