All along, the major teams in the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes have been the Yankees, Dodgers, Brewers, Angles, Rays, and Padres, but the Red Sox were only mentioned a few times during the waiting period of the young Cuban infielder to sign with a major league club. Boston only briefly worked Moncada out, while the other major contenders for his services saw Moncada work out more than once. The Yankees (always eager with their money) even tested out Yoan for a third time late last week, which may be the reasoning behind Boston’s decision to offer $4 million more taking the contract to $31.5 million.
The storied rivalry of the Yankees and Red Sox has not only been on the field, but off the field as well, within offseason transactions. The heated nabbing of players off the free-agent market or taking each other’s former stars, can be linked all the way back to the 1920’s when Babe Ruth transitioned from a star pitcher in Massachusetts to an all-time great American slugger in the “Big Apple.” Most currently, last offseason, the star Red Sox center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, signed a 7-year pact to wear pinstripes. Most of the time the Yankees have been the winners in the head to head Winter acquisitions with their rival, but the Red Sox wanted to make sure they won this time; although it may not have been in the team’s best interest, it was more so along the lines of not wanting that player to take the field in pinstripes and compete against them, as the Sox know of Moncada great talents.
Yoan Moncada is a 19-year-old Cuban native second-baseman who can also compete in the outfield. He is a switch-hitter who throws with great strength being right-handed. Out of all the many scouts that have seen Yoan on the field, almost all of them state that he has potential to be a 5-tool player (contact hitter, power, speed, glove, and arm strength). Moncada is projected to be the next Yasiel Puig within the two years. But, with the Red Sox already possessing the likes of top prospect Mookie Betts (infielder), former #2 prospect Xander Bogarts (starting SS), Brock Holt (utility man), veteran Dustin Pedroia (2B), top 50 prospect Garin Cecchini (3B), Hanley Ramirez (LF, 3B, SS), Pablo Sandoval (starting 3B), etc., where will Yoan Moncada fit in? With all the competition and already developing starters, will Yoan ever get his chance at being an all-star with his big contract?
Besides the Red Sox wanting to sign Moncada because they didn’t want the Yankees to get him, Boston also might have signed him for a more logical factor. All winter long, Cole Hamels trade rumors have been linked heavily to the Sox, but nothing has been completed because Boston was not willing to give up players like Mookie Betts or center fielder, Rusney Castillo, so the trade talks have been quiet lately. However, now with the signing of Yoan Moncada, the Red Sox now have 3-4 young studs, meaning they have plenty of depth for a trade. Yes it is true that most of the time only a couple of those many promised prospects make it as an everyday major league starter, but an already established major league ace pitcher who can suddenly increase a team’s chances of a title, is worth giving up some young talent for. From what has been seen, Moncada has just as much talent as Mookie Betts and Castillo, so why not trade Betts and an old-aged prospect likev Brock Holt along with some other invaluable pieces to the Phillies for Cole Hamles?
