Do Angels already have answer at third base in Yoan Moncada?

The 2025 season started off horrendously for the Angels when Anthony Rendon once again caught the injury bug and was out for the season as teams prepared to kick off their Spring Training sessions. Yoan Moncada was signed afterwards as a reclamation project, as the Halos needed a corner infielder alongside Luis Rengifo to fill in for Rendon. And while Moncada’s defense was far below average at third, his offense provided enough value for the Angels to consider bringing him back to Anaheim for 2026 - at the right price. 

Moncada started off hot but dealt with his share of injuries during the 2025 season - mostly hampered by a hamstring issue throughout the season while also dealing with thumb, hand, and ankle injuries - that greatly impacted his ability as a right-handed hitter. Moncada has always been better against right-handed pitching, but his numbers dropped drastically against lefties in 2025. While that may be injury related, projecting him as a platoon option against righties going forward is reasonable. 

If Rendon is available next season - which is somehow still possible despite it seeming otherwordly - Moncada is a natural option to platoon alongside him while sharing time at third base (though who knows how much defense Rendon can play) and desginated hitter. And if Rendon is not apart of the plans in 2026, Moncada could serve as the starting third base man whenever the Angels face a right handed starter.

Third base is a strong position in free agency - Alex Bregman is the best of the bunch while Eugenio Surarez is fresh off of a 49 home run campaign. Moncada is apart of the next tier of third baseman, though his defense there may be among the worst of the available third baseman. Bregman and Suarez will get the two biggest contracts, and with Rendon already on the books at third base it is unlikely Arte Moreno will want to invest even more into the position.

Moncada is the perfect middle ground. He played at a high enough level when healthy to justify his $5 million contract for 2025, and something in the $8-$10 million range for the next two seasons is incredibly possible. Handing a contract like that out to Moncada would be a far stronger investment than going into the range that Bregman and Suarez could demand. Finalizing an agreement with Moncada early could be beneficial as well, as the losers of the sweepstakes for the aforementioned stars will come calling for Moncada afterwards, raising his price.

While he certainly has flaws on defense, Moncada provided enough at the plate in 2025 to justify a near full-time starting job in 2026 and reportedly has his fair share of suitors. With no clear answer in Anaheim, the Angels should be reaching out to Moncada early on in free agency in order to spend the majority of the off season focusing on their bigger holes.