Yoán Moncada DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger projects Los Angeles Angels infielder Yoan Moncada as the team's starting third baseman on Opening Day. The Angels signed him to a one-year deal just before spring training, and he will be part of a battle for playing time at third base with Anthony Rendon, Cole Fontenelle, Carter Kieboom and J.D. Davis. Rendon has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons, which makes him starting at the hot corner in 2025 far from a guarantee. The 29-year-old Moncada has had injury issues of his own the last two years, though, and has played in 104 games combined in 2023 and 2024. He averaged 69 games in a three-year span with Chicago, so he's also far from a guarantee at third for the Halos. Moncada is younger than Rendon, though, and has had an above-average .733 OPS with 11 homers and 40 RBI the last two years with the White Sox when healthy.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Yoan Moncada is expected to start at the hot corner for the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran third baseman signed a one-year deal with the Angels earlier this week and is expected to open camp as the team's starting third baseman. Anthony Rendon has been viewed as the starting third baseman in Los Angeles but has struggled to remain healthy. Moncada has also battled injuries over the past two seasons but has performed well when on the field. Last season, across 12 contests, the switch-hitter held a .275/.356/.400 slash line. During the 2023 season, Moncada held a similar .260/.305/.425 line across 92 games. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Moncada's status during spring training as he could be a viable corner infielder in deeper formats, given his solid batting average upside.

According to Francys Romero, the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and Seattle Mariners have continued to show interest in free agent third baseman Yoan Moncada. Romero noted that the third base market continues to wait as Alex Bregman's new contract will likely reset the market. The 29-year-old played in only 12 games last season due to an adductor strain. Moncada has been prone to injuries over the past few seasons and has only logged at least 140 games in a single season once since 2021. In his small stint last season, Moncada held a .275/.356/.400 line. In 2021 (his last full season), the infielder posted a .265/.375/.412 line with a stellar 13.6% walk rate and .353 xwOBA. If Moncada were to ink a contract with one of these clubs, he would likely be given an opportunity to earn a starting role during Spring Training. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should monitor his status during Spring Training as he carries solid upside in OBP leagues given his high walk rate.