The Yoan Moncada Era is about to begin.
The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday night that Moncada, an infielder and the team’s top prospect, will join the club Friday in Oakland when the Red Sox begin their road trip against the A’s. The Red Sox are making the move as major league rosters extend to 40 players Sept. 1.
Should the Red Sox make the playoffs and Moncada performs well enough for the team to keep him around, he’s eligible to participate, according to MLB.com and FanGraphs, despite being added to the major league roster after Aug. 31.
Moncada played second base for the majority of his minor league career, but he’s obviously blocked at the position by Dustin Pedroia, who’s having another fine season now that he’s finally healthy. Because of that, the 21-year-old Cuban recently switched over to third base in Portland. In nine games, he committed three errors in 30 chances. Moncada isn’t known for his defense, though — he made 17 errors at second base this season in 399 chances over 92 games.
It’s Moncada’s offense and speed that have the Red Sox salivating. In 71 games for the Single-A Greenville Drive last season, Moncada hit .278 with eight home runs, 19 doubles, 38 RBIs and 49 stolen bases. Those numbers have increased in 2016: In a combined 105 games with the Single-A Salem Red Sox and Portland, Moncada is batting .298 with 15 home runs, 31 doubles, 61 RBIs and 45 steals.
He was named the team’s minor league baserunner of the year in 2015, though Red Sox manager John Farrell insisted Wednesday he’d be used as more than just a pinch-runner. He even compared Moncada’s call-up to that of Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Xander Bogaerts before previous postseason runs in Boston.
“We’ve talked about Yoan, and not just as a pinch-runner,” Farrell said. “(He’s) an exciting young player, extremely talented guy. There’s all positive reviews and evaluations of him. When that major league experience is going to initiate, time with tell that. But in terms of playing the position of third base, yes, that conversation has been had.”
Moncada currently is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball by both MLB.com and Baseball America.
Boston has used seven different players (Travis Shaw, Pablo Sandoval, Brock Holt, Marco Hernandez, Josh Rutledge, Deven Marrero and Aaron Hill) at the hot corner this season. MLB.com’s Deesha Thosar pointed out that Red Sox third basemen are batting a combined .248, which ranks 13th in the American League.
He’ll join fellow star Red Sox prospect Andrew Benintendi, currently on the 15-day disabled list, as players recalled directly from Double-A to the big club this season.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
