The Angels reportedly are signing former White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada to a one-year, $5 million, contract.
Moncada spent the last eight seasons with the 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 RBI.
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 a loss at Angel Stadium on Sept. 18.
Moncada has missed at least 58 games because of injury in each of the last 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 because of 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 the Angels.