Surprising free agent option emerges for the Blue Jays' infield solution

Take this one with a grain of salt, but for what it's worth, one reporter has thrown out the Toronto Blue Jays as being among the teams having interest in a guy who was, at one time, the top prospect in baseball. Reporter Francys Romero has tweeted that third baseman Yoan Moncada is someone the Blue Jays have been interested in.

It's a report that should make Blue Jays fans confused at first, considering Moncada's stature among other free agents on the market, but there are also some factors at play that could make sense for the Blue Jays to be in Moncada's market.

Surprising free agent option emerges for the Blue Jays' infield solution

The fact that the Blue Jays are mentioned along with the LA Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox is interesting in itself. All three teams have been active this offseason, coming off several years of below .500 play. Moncada is also a former member of both the Angels and the White Sox and perfectly fits the mold of the type of player those teams are looking for.

He's a "bounce back" type of free agent add that won't break the bank and could end up having a really good season for a team that, if they are good, will help keep them in contention for a playoff spot. If they are bad, and Moncada is having a good season, he can be sold to the highest bidder at the trade deadline.

The Blue Jays are expected to be a little more competitive than all three of those teams. Coming off a World Series appearance, Toronto should be shopping at the higher end fo the market for a player who could be an every day guy at any of their infield spots other than first base. They could bring back shortstop Bo Bichette, and while he's told teams he's willing to move to second base, he could still occupy shortstop if the Blue Jays want him to.

Toronto could also find a second baseman, which makes Andrés Giménez the every day guy at short. They could also be in the market for an Alex Bregman type of player to take over the reigns at third, and have Ernie Clement be, more or less, the every day second baseman. The Blue Jays have options, thanks to their depth and with Moncada being mentioned as a possible free agent target, it makes sense from a depth/platoon stand point.

Moncada, 30, is a switch hitter who has never really lived up to the hype of being the top prospect in the game. In his early 20's he had a couple of good season's but after 2021, he's had a hard time staying healthy and producing consistently.

Originally signed by the Boston Red Sox out of Cuba in 2015, he was traded by Boston to the White Sox the next year as part of the deal that brought Chris Sale to Boston. Once he got to Chicago, the pressure was on for him to be a part of the rebuild plans for the White Sox that never truly materialized. Although from 2017-2021 Moncada was worth 12.7 bWAR, slashed a respectable .261/.347/.440 but averaged 134 strikeouts compared to 49 walks. Overall, he hit 70 home runs and drove in 247 RBIs.

Since then he's played in just 292 games over the next four seasons between the White Sox and Angels. He's produced a positive 2.5 bWAR but injuries have continued to be an issue for him. However, some baseball projections see him as a player who has above average skills at the plate, with good plate discipline. Those are the kinds of skills Toronto likes to employ in their lineup and there is a fit here for the Blue Jays.

This would be more of a depth or platoon type of signing for the Blue Jays. Signing Moncada would allow the Blue Jays to deploy a better platoon advantage against right handed pitchers, with lefties Giménez, Barger and Moncada, while deploying Clement against more lefties. The Blue Jays have been linked to those big name players, but GM Ross Atkins has also indicated that at the current rate, the contracts those players are seeking aren't exactly in the Blue Jays comfort level.

While they wait for the money to make more sense for them, Moncada represents a depth play that could be the 2026 version of the Isiah Kiner-Falefa deal at the deadline.