The Angels are bringing back a familiar face, reportedly agreeing to a one-year, $4 million deal with third baseman Yoán Moncada. The 30-year-old switch-hitter returns to Anaheim for a second season, aiming to build on a 2025 campaign that showed flashes of his old form-when he was healthy.
Moncada’s return doesn’t require a corresponding roster move, as the Angels already had an open spot on their 40-man. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing for a team that’s been methodical with its offseason spending.
Last year, Moncada signed a similar one-year deal worth $5 million. And for stretches, he delivered.
Over 289 plate appearances, he slashed .234/.336/.448 with 12 home runs and an 11.1% walk rate. The power and patience were there, but so were the strikeouts-he went down on strikes in just over 25% of his trips to the plate.
It was, in many ways, a classic Moncada season: solid offensive tools, a few too many whiffs, and unfortunately, time lost to injuries.
A right thumb sprain and inflammation in his right knee sidelined him for much of the first half. He managed just 36 games before the All-Star break, but was available down the stretch, giving the Angels a steady presence at third base in the second half.
Moncada’s journey has been anything but linear. Once the No. 1 prospect in baseball, he looked like a future star during standout seasons with the White Sox in 2019 and 2021.
That promise led to a $70 million extension in 2020, but the production never fully matched the payday. Between 2022 and 2023, he posted a .234/.288/.386 line, and a serious groin injury in 2024 limited him to just a handful of games.
The White Sox made the easy call to decline his $25 million club option in favor of a $5 million buyout.
Now, Moncada gets another shot to reestablish himself in Anaheim. He’s historically been more productive from the left side of the plate, and the Angels leaned into that by using him in a platoon role last season.
He logged just 27 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Expect a similar approach this year, with right-handed bats like Vaughn Grissom and Denzer Guzman available to pick up at-bats when southpaws are on the mound.
Grissom, who came over from Boston in a buy-low trade during the Winter Meetings, is better suited for second base. That’s where the Angels may give another opportunity to Christian Moore, the former first-rounder who struggled in his first taste of the majors with a .198/.284/.370 line over 53 games. Moore’s limited Triple-A experience-just 30 games-suggests he might benefit from more seasoning in the minors.
Grissom, however, doesn’t have that luxury. He’s out of minor league options and will be on the big league roster in some capacity. The same goes for Oswald Peraza, though the former top prospect seems less likely to survive a roster crunch if he doesn’t impress in spring training.
Moncada’s deal is part of a broader trend for the Angels this offseason: short-term commitments at modest price points. They’ve now handed out five one-year MLB contracts-Moncada joins Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Alek Manoah, all signed for $5 million or less. In total, the Angels have spent just under $17 million this winter, and none of those deals extend beyond the 2026 season.
Right now, their payroll sits around $180 million-roughly $13 million below where they opened in 2025. That gives them some flexibility, and they’ll need it.
The rotation still needs at least one more arm, and center field remains a question mark. Josh Lowe, Bryce Teodosio, and Wade Meckler are the current options, but none have locked down the job.
Bringing back Moncada doesn’t solve all the Angels’ problems, but it does give them a steady, experienced option at third base-and one who, if he can stay healthy, still has the tools to make an impact.