Yoán Moncada came to the Chicago White Sox organization as the top prospect in baseball.
Limited because of injuries during the last three seasons, the third baseman never displayed that potential on a consistent basis. And on Friday, the Sox declined his $25 million option for 2025. He will receive a $5 million buyout and become a free agent.
Moncada, 29, had a .254/.332/.425 slash line with 93 home runs and 338 RBIs in 739 games during eight seasons with the White Sox. The team acquired him in December 2016 as part of a trade that sent pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox.
Moncada’s best season with the White Sox came in 2019, when he hit .315 with 25 home runs and 79 RBIs in 132 games. He agreed to a five-year, $70 million extension during spring training the next year.
He slashed .263/.375/.412 in 144 games while helping the Sox to the American League Central title in 2021.
He made separate trips to the injured list in 2022 with a right oblique strain, a strained right hamstring and a left hamstring strain, appearing in 104 games.
Moncada played in 92 games in 2023, spending time on the IL because of lower back issues. He played just 12 games in 2024, missing most of the season after suffering a left adductor strain while running to first base on April 9 in Cleveland.
He appeared in just one game after returning from the injured list on Sept. 16, entering as a pinch runner on Sept. 18 against the Los Angeles Angels in extra innings and later getting one at-bat.
Options at third base for the Sox in 2025 could include Miguel Vargas and Bryan Ramos.
Vargas slashed .104/.217/.170 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 42 games with the Sox after being acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ramos hit .202/.252/.333 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 32 games as a rookie in 2024. Lenyn Sosa played the most games at third base (52), but he spent a portion of the second half at second base.
The Sox also declined the $7.5 million club option on catcher Max Stassi. He will receive a $500,000 buyout.
The Sox acquired Stassi last December in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, but he never had the chance to play a regular-season game with the team because of a hip injury.
Stassi, 33, began the season on the 10-day injured list with left hip inflammation. He appeared in five games with Triple-A Charlotte on an injury rehabilitation assignment before being returned on April 10 and transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 15. Stassi underwent season-ending hip surgery on June 7.
With Friday’s moves, the club’s 40-man roster decreases to 37.
