Will Moncada start on Opening Day for White Sox?
The Chicago White Sox had one of the busier and more exciting offseasons in baseball, as they were involved in two of the biggest trades of the winter.
Among the many pieces Rick Hahn and his front office acquired in exchange for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton was one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Yoan Moncada, who's expected to be a stud, and the South Siders' eventual franchise player.
With position players for the White Sox expected to arrive for spring training on Feb. 17, one question is presumably on the minds of their fans:
Does Moncada have a chance to start on Opening Day?
It's clear the White Sox are ready to move in a different direction after trading Sale and Eaton, and continuing to try to work out a deal for closer David Robertson. Jose Quintana was also reportedly on the trade block.
If that's indeed the case, Moncada could arrive at big-league camp with a chance of joining Cuban mentor Jose Abreu on the right side of the Chicago infield on Opening Day.
The 21-year-old debuted in the big leagues for the Boston Red Sox last season, playing mostly at third base, but his actual position of preference, and the one he's played most in the minors and in Cuba, is second.
Chicago used three different players at second last season in Brett Lawrie, Tyler Saladino, and Carlos Sanchez, who combined for 24 home runs and 95 RBIs.
2016 stats
| PLAYER | PA | HR | RBI | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Lawrie | 384 | 12 | 36 | .723 | 0.9 |
| Tyler Saladino | 319 | 8 | 38 | .725 | 1.2 |
| Carlos Sanchez | 163 | 4 | 21 | .593 | -0.3 |
Moncada was just 4-for-19 during his short big-league stint this past September, but hit for a combined .294/.407/.511 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in the minors, while also stealing 45 bases.
The Cuban's offensive prowess is obvious, but he's yet to prove himself in the show, and his defense may be enough of an issue to keep him from cracking the Opening Day lineup.
He committed 17 errors in the minors compared to the 13 White Sox second basemen produced at the big-league level, and Chicago, which finished fifth in the AL in the category, may not want to bring the youngster up until his glove improves.
All three of Lawrie, Saladino, and Sanchez are returning in 2017, so the White Sox could opt to go this route once again and give Moncada time to blossom in the minors, but, with an impressive spring, he could either make the club or put himself on the radar for a future call-up.
However things pan out during spring camp, most of the attention will be on the young phenom, who is one of the most talked-about prospects to enter the game in recent memory.