There’s been a lot of talk about the Athletics over the past few years, but now it’s time for the fans and organizations to shift their focus to free agency, which is coming up. Yoán Moncada is set to become a free agent, and he could fit very well with the Athletics as they enter the 2026 season.
Moncada has had a fantastic MLB journey. Once a highly touted prospect, Moncada hasn’t really ever lived up to the hype.
Back in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox, Moncada had a 5.1 WAR, and he was 21st in MVP voting. Moncada would then have a down 2020 season before having a big 2021 season as well, with a 4.1 WAR mark.
Outside of those two years, though, Moncada has never had a WAR mark above two. With the Athletics hoping to turn things around soon, Moncada could be a solid short-term solution for this organization.
This is a PREDICTION, not a REPORT.
More MLB Content From TWSN:
The Cincinnati Reds Will Reunite With Nick Castellanos
New York Mets Signing Framber Valdez
Baltimore Orioles Signing Bo Bichette in MLB Free Agency
Yoán Moncada Joining Athletics in MLB Free Agency
While Moncada may want to stay with the Los Angeles Angels, there’s a chance the money just doesn’t make sense. The Angels and Athletics are really in similar situations, so the fit would make sense for both teams.
However, either the Angels or Athletics may not be willing to pay Moncada what he wants. If the Angels are the ones that don’t want Moncada back, it would be reasonable for the Athletics to come in and pay him.
According to Vincent Page of Halo Hangout, he explains that, “His injuries could lower his price tag enough for the Angels to keep him in town as a bench piece/designated hitter option (his defense at third base was atrocious), but if a high spending team believes in his bat enough then the price could go too high for the Angels to match.”
If the Angels feel good about Denzer Guzman, Christian Moore, or how they decide to attack their designated hitter spot, it could make sense for them to part ways with Moncada.
How Yoán Moncada Fits in Athletics
Finding the ideal fit for Moncada is tough because he had a really rough year defensively. Moncada was in the 6th percentile for his Fielding Run Value per Baseball Savant, and his Fielding Run Value was -9.
While Moncada has never been an elite defender, it seems like that was a bit of an outlier year. Moncada has never had a negative Fielding Run Value mark since 2020.
Right now, the Athletics should operate under the assumption that Moncada will be the team’s designated hitter, but the move also comes with the chance that he could replace Max Muncy at third base.
For now, though, the ideal move would be to put Moncada at designated hitter, move Brent Rooker to right field, and Lawrence Butler to center field.
While Moncada isn’t super young, he’s 30 years old right now. The Athletics just had their best season since 2021, so starting to bring in some more veteran players could make sense at this point.
Moncada isn’t going to be a cornerstone asset for the Athletics, but he makes sense for their current roster.
Yoan Moncada Stats
In the intro paragraph, we touched on Moncada’s stats briefly, but let’s dive into what he did in 2025. Last year, Moncada had a 0.7 WAR mark, 0.234 batting average, 12 home runs, and 0.336 OBP.
The last time Moncada had a WAR above one was back in 2021. Although Yoán Moncada isn’t the same player he once was, he could provide the Athletics with an upgrade while they search for their long-term answer.