Struggling Chicago White Sox second baseman Moncada stays cool
Yoan Moncada is everything that's good about a baseball rebuild.
And everything that's bad.
Named Baseball's America's minor-league player of the year for 2016, Moncada was moved from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox in the Chris Sale trade that off-season.
Expectations were high, to say the least.
"We view Moncada as a premium position player," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said after the trade was made at the 2016 winter meetings. "A guy who is going to play up the middle for us, be an impact offensively and defensively for us, for a long time."
Hahn later issued a caveat: "There is still some development left in this player."
On Saturday, Moncada played in his 122nd game with the White Sox since joining the 25-man roster from Class AAA Charlotte last July.
In the opinion of more than a few Sox fans, the 23-year-old second baseman already is a colossal bust.
Moncada ranks second in baseball with 105 strikeouts, and the switch hitter has been an easy out (10-for-65, no home runs, 2 RBI) from the right side of the plate.
Defensively, Moncada leads all major-league second basemen with 11 errors, and he has been struggling to glove seemingly routine grounders hit right at him.
While there he been outside panic over his all-around game, credit the easygoing Moncada for keeping cool under the intensifying heat.
"Obviously, you can get frustrated because you don't want to make those mistakes," Moncada said through a translator. "But at the same time, you can't get over frustrated because you need to be ready for the next time. That's why you always have to think about what's next. What happened, happened. You have to keep your mind on what's next."
A 2-for-16 slump has dropped Moncada's batting average to .224, but the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder said his offensive struggles are not affecting his defense.
"If my offense is not good or is not where I want it to be," Moncada said, "I don't put any pressure or any extra pressure on my defense."
Sox manager Rick Renteria is always talking with his young second baseman, and they both understand playing sound baseball can be a long, often difficult process.
"It is creating good habits," Renteria said. "We've always said if you do it once, it's an accident. Twice, it's a habit. He's gotten himself into some habits over the course of his young career, and even as an amateur probably, that he needs to break.
"You can see how talented he is. It's just about making sure he shows a consistent approach."
Starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez have had consistency issues since joining the White Sox's rotation from Charlotte in the second half of last season.
Don't be surprised if current prospects such as Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Luis Robert and even 2018 first-round draft pick Nick Madrigal are inconsistent for lengthy stretches when they join the Sox, just like Moncada.
It's the bad - but inevitable - part of rebuilding.
"I might have the date a little bit off, but I believe three years ago this time Moncada had yet to play a professional game in the States, which is very easy to lose sight on given the profile he had when we got him or the notoriety or renown he had as a prospect," Hahn said earlier this month. "He's still a very young, developing player."