Chicago White Sox News: No timetable set for Yoan Moncada return

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada was placed on the IL last Thursday and in an update provided by manager Pedro Grifol before the team’s 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, there is no timetable set for Moncada’s return. 

"“It could be 10 days, it could be two weeks. I don’t have an answer,” manager Pedro Grifol said when asked about a timeline for Moncada.”-Pedro Grifol via Chicago Sun-Times"

We are reaching the point where the sense of entitlement that the White Sox have when it comes to Moncada being their long-term third baseman should be at an end.

Moncada has played in 38 games this season and it would seem likely that injuries will result in a second consecutive wasted season for the one-time American League MVP candidate. In 147 plate appearances this season, Moncada is slashing .232/.279/.370 while registering a wRC+ of 78 and wOBA of .284. Even Moncada’s wOBA is indicative of him being lucky this season as his xwOBA on the season is .259.

No matter how you look at it, Moncada has not been good this season and this is the second straight season where that has been the case. Even the last of the Moncada truthers have to realize that the White Sox may have a serious problem on their hand.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada is indicative of what the team’s front office got wrong.

Perhaps, the 2019 season for Moncada was the exception for the White Sox and not the expectation. Moncada was a 5.5-fWAR player during the 2019 season and the team rewarded him with a five-year, $70 million deal before the start of the 2020 season.

On a larger scale, Moncada may be the case study for where the White Sox front office got the rebuild wrong.

There is no doubt that the White Sox were on the right track when they acquired the likes of Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Michael Kopech when each were prospects. But two things must remain true for a Major League Baseball front office, do not fall in love with your prospects and identify when a prospect is not going to reach their true potential.

The White Sox have not done that and that is a large part of the reason why their rebuild is on the verge of failure.