ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels are signing third baseman Yoán Moncada to a $5 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the Angels hadn’t announced the deal, which is subject to a successful physical.
Moncada spent the past eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox, who acquired him in a trade after his major league debut with Boston in 2016. Moncada is a career .254 hitter with 93 homers and 339 RBIs.
Moncada missed nearly all of last season after straining an adductor muscle in April. He made just one more appearance, striking out with the bases loaded to end the top of the 13th inning in Chicago’s loss at Angel Stadium on Sept. 18.
Moncada has missed at least 58 games due to injury in each of the past four seasons. That’s a sadly familiar situation for the Angels, whose $245 million third baseman, Anthony Rendon, has yet to even play in more than 58 games in any of his first five seasons with the Halos due to innumerable injuries.
Moncada’s presence at third base creates the option to move Rendon into a smaller role when the Angels get to work at spring training this month in Tempe, Arizona. Rendon has two seasons left on his disastrous free-agent contract.
Moncada is considered a solid defensive player at third base, but he will get instruction under manager Ron Washington, a specialist in infield defense, and infield coach Ryan Goins, who was Moncada’s teammate in Chicago. Moncada also was a longtime teammate of Tim Anderson, who is attempting a big league comeback after signing a minor league deal with Los Angeles.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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