Chicago White Sox: What does it mean if Yoan Moncada plays 3B?

What does it mean for the makeup of the Chicago White Sox if second baseman Yoan Moncada switches to third base moving forward?

Some news out of spring training from Chicago White Sox media came out on Monday afternoon. There was video and a report that Yoan Moncada was taking some fielding practice at third base.

Moncada has been a second baseman his entire career with the White Sox and figured to be the future staple at the position. He did go into the Red Sox organization as a third baseman but that was a very small sample size.

Manager Rick Renteria had some interesting things to say about the possible move while addressing the media. He told everyone that they should not be surprised if Moncada is at the hot corner to begin the season. There should not be much made of that because he is just warning people of the possibility.

He also claimed that third base requires more focused than second base and that could possibly be brought over to his hitting. This also might just be Renteria trying to get Moncada’s attention this Spring and show him that he needs to be better; that they expect great things from him.

For people wondering how this would affect the rest of the team, it is simple. If Moncada played third, Tim Anderson would play shortstop and Yolmer Sanchez would play second. They are playing this as if the players they currently have are the ones that are going to be there on opening day. That is the way fans should want it right now.

Obviously, the elephant in the room is Manny Machado. What is he going to do? The reason it is so important is not just because he is an elite player who could change the fortune of the franchise, but also because then, everyone else could be slotted in accordingly. Moncada will probably be playing second if Machado chooses to come to the White Sox.

The only way he could still play third with Machado there is if Machado plays shortstop and they move Anderson to the outfield, but that seems like a stretch.

We all know Moncada has a very good eye at the plate and needs to be more aggressive when he has two strikes, but this story is all about his defense. They need to be a good defensive team behind their pitching if they are going to have a good year.  Moncada figures to be a big part of that equation for them.

Moncada playing third, if there is no Machado, will be a good thing for the team because it will show he can be a multi-purpose infielder as much as he is a multipurpose hitter. He can hit for power, for average, steal bases, and of course, switch hit.

If he can play multiple positions, that would add just another element to his all-around game. The White Sox need Yoan Moncada to be a very good player to take the next step in the rebuild.