Yankees Urged to Trade for Angels' $5 Million Breakout Player in Blockbuster Move

Newsweek's Andrew Wright lists Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoan Moncada as a prime candidate to fill the hole the New York Yankees have at third base.

The Yanks are faced with a problem at the hot corner, as Oswaldo Cabrera underwent season-ending surgery on his fractured ankle May 16 and Oswald Peraza is batting .160 in 81 at-bats with nearly twice as many strikeouts than hits this season.

Meanwhile, Moncada has performed better with the Angels than he has his whole career, posting his highest OPS (.812) since 2019, when he had the best year of his career with the Chicago White Sox.

Moncada has spent most of the last two seasons on the injured list, but when he's been healthy this season, he has slashed .228/.333/.478 with five home runs and eight runs batted in across 28 games. He is currently battling knee soreness, but has not been moved to the injured list.

He is one of two Angels to hit a home run during the Halos' MLB-worst five-game losing streak, the other being Zach Neto.

Moncada signed with the Angels as a free agent in the offseason, joining former White Sox teammate Tim Anderson, who the Angels released Thursday. His consistent offensive output has put him on the radars of several teams in need of a bat.

Moncada, a career .253 hitter, could be an asset to any offense if he pulls his batting average up to where it normally sits.

Whether or not the Angels plan to move Moncada is yet to be seen, however if the third baseman continues to produce and the right offer arrives, then they may need to explore the option.

For the time being, Moncada's focus is with the Angels and recovering from his knee soreness. His next opportunity to play will be in Friday's series opener in Cleveland against the Guardians. If Moncada is unable to play, Kevin Newman will likely stand in for him as he did after Moncada's exit against the Yankees on Wednesday.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.