The Chicago White Sox made a major decision regarding one of their core players on Friday.
The White Sox officially declined the $25 million contract option on third baseman Yoan Moncada, making him a free agent. Moncada had a $5 million buyout.
The #WhiteSox have declined the $25-million club option on third baseman Yoán Moncada ($5-million buyout) and the $7.5-million club option on catcher Max Stassi ($500,000 buyout) for the 2025 season. Both players become free agents.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) November 1, 2024
Moncada’s departure marks the end of a tremendously disappointing era of White Sox baseball. He was the prize prospect acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Chris Sale trade in December 2016. He appeared poised for stardom after a breakout 2019 campaign which saw him hit .315 with 25 home runs, and was part of the 2021 AL Central-winning team that seemed to herald the beginning of a dominant period for the team.
After that, things went south for both Moncada and the White Sox. He struggled to stay healthy and was not particularly effective when he was, as he hit just .236 over the last three seasons. Injuries limited him to just 12 games in 2024, and the team went on to lose an MLB record 121 games. At that point, there was no way the White Sox were going to pay Moncada $25 million next season.
Moncada is still only 29 and teams will remember his status as a former top prospect who has had success at the MLB level. However, he is, at best, a reclamation project for someone this winter.
