About ten years ago, New York Yankees He aggressively pursued Yoán Moncada when he was the top international free agent to come out of Cuba. they kept two special workouts He was with the infielder in Tampa before eventually signing with the Boston Red Sox for a $31.5 million signing bonus.

Fast forward to November 2024, and Moncada has once again become a free agent after nine MLB seasons. It seems the Yankees’ interest in the hitting infielder has continued over the years.

on wednesday, MLB reporter Francys Romero The Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are among the teams keeping a close eye on Moncada in free agency. Romero added that more than five teams have expressed interest in his services.

Moncada, 29, could only play in 12 games in 2024 after suffering a left adductor strain in April. Although he was removed from the injured list on September 16, the Chicago White Sox limited his playing time by giving younger players more opportunities during the final stretch of their record-setting losing season.

After eight injury-plagued seasons in Chicago, the White Sox opted not to exercise Moncada’s $25 million club option for 2025, instead paying him a $5 million buyout to part ways.

Moncada was acquired from the Red Sox in 2016 as part of a blockbuster trade for left-handed ace Chris Sale that also included pitcher Michael Kopech and two other prospects. At the time, Moncada was baseball’s No. 1 prospect.

His best season came in 2019, when he batted .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 79 RBIs and 5.2 WAR in 132 games. This performance led the White Sox to sign him to a five-year, $70 million extension the following offseason.

But his production dropped off during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, hitting just .225/.320/.385 with six home runs, 24 RBIs and 0.6 WAR in 52 games.

Moncada made a rapid recovery in 2021, slashing .263/.375/.412 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and 4.0 WAR in 144 games. However, injuries limited him to just 208 games over the next three seasons, during which he posted 88 games below wRC+.

Despite on-field inconsistencies and frequent injuries, Moncada remained a consistent defender. During his career, he had a .963 fielding percentage, playing 526 at third base and 203 at second base; Both positions are positions the Yankees may need depending on the team’s actions this offseason.

Gleyber Torres, the Yankees’ everyday second baseman for most of his seven-year career, is currently a free agent. If he signs elsewhere, the Yankees could create a void at the hot corner by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third base to second base.

Signing Moncada would give the Yankees the flexibility to keep Chisholm at third (a position he learned on the fly after joining New York at the trade deadline) or move him to second, depending on the team’s preferences. This will also give manager Aaron Boone additional versatility in determining his rosters.

Yankees did not extend $21.05 million to Torres qualified offerHowever ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel still reflects on it achieving an AAV of $17.5 million on the open market. Moncada is expected to arrive at a much lower price tag due to his recent injury history and inconsistent production, making him an intriguing low-buy return candidate.