Two former White Sox players will soon be reunited as teammates.
According to MLB insider Francys Romero, third baseman Yoan Moncada has signed with Puerto Rico’s Senadores de San Juan. He is expected to play for a “short stint” in the winter league alongside first baseman José Abreu.
Moncada, 29, has so far spent his offseason playing in the Premier12 for Team Cuba. He has appeared in four games, slashing .143/.143/.200 (2-for-14) with a .343 OPS. He also made headlines after being forced to exit last Thursday’s contest after getting hit by a pitch on his right hand. Luckily, significant swelling was the extent of Moncada’s injury and he has since returned to the field despite some doubt.
The decision by Moncada to play winter ball beyond the Premier12 was always expected, even before the tournament began. However, a previous report suggested Moncada would join the Ozzie Guillen-led Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Perhaps Abreu’s recent success and growing interest from MLB organizations influenced Moncada’s decision to join his former counterpart instead.
Jose Abreu now has 4 homers during the Puerto Rican winter league. pic.twitter.com/93QvwVuuTv
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) November 18, 2024
Moncada became a free agent last month after the White Sox declined his $25 million option for the 2025 season, ending his polarizing tenure on the South Side. In eight seasons, the former top prospect slashed .254/.332/.425 with a 107 wRC+ and 14.0 fWAR. Moncada’s best campaign came in 2019, where he hit .315/.367/.548 with a 139 wRC+, 5.2 fWAR, and 25 homers in 132 games. It helped earn him a five-year, $70M contract extension that offseason, though he would never reach those heights again.
Like many of the White Sox “core” pieces, Moncada has struggled with injuries as of late and appeared in just 12 games this past season. Even after he returned to full health in September, interim manager Grady Sizemore made it known that younger players who factored into the team’s long-term plans would be given priority at third base. It was a disappointing end to a clear story of “what if” with Moncada, even though he was an above-average hitter and defender when he was on the field.
Despite the recent negatives, Moncada is reportedly being considered by “more than five teams,” according to Romero. The Yankees, Blue Jays, and Mariners are among those who are keeping an eye on him this offseason, especially as he continues his showcase in Puerto Rico.
Like Moncada, Abreu has also been drawing his fair share of interest from teams. Those it’s unknown who the teams are or how many might be monitoring the veteran, Romero has reported that a deal could happen in the coming days.
Abreu, 37, signed with the Senadores de San Juan last month to participate in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Intending to make an MLB comeback in 2025, the slugger has put up impressive numbers thus far. As of our previous article, he was hitting .269 with a 1.038 OPS, leading the league in home runs (4), total bases (20) and RBI (10).
During his nine-year tenure on the South Side, Abreu was named an American League MVP, a three-time All-Star, and a three-time Silver Slugger Award recipient. An irreplaceable leader and staple of production in the White Sox lineup, the Cuban owned a career .292/.354/.506 slash with 243 home runs, 863 RBI, 697 runs, and a .860 OPS.
In a press conference with the White Sox before the 2022 season’s end, Abreu expressed his desire to continue playing and was interested in returning to Chicago. However, he said there had not been any talks with the front office and that he would take the offseason to rest and think about what comes next. This was a far cry from when he said he would “sign himself” before his free agency in 2019.
Abreu eventually signed a three-year, $58.5 million deal with Houston, which turned into a forgettable stint. The 2024 season alone was a complete disaster where he hit .124/.167/.195 in 35 games, resulting in getting optioned to Triple-A and later released midway through his second season.
Going into 2025, any club can sign Pito and owe him only the prorated league minimum for time spent on the big league roster. Though a complete resurgence appears unlikely, it wouldn’t be a bad flier for certain teams to take. Given his recent production in winter ball, it seems like Abreu will be getting his opportunity to make a resurgence.
We will continue to monitor both players this winter and provide further updates as rumors continue to circulate.
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Featured Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images