Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada were supposed to form a championship-winning nucleus along with Tim Anderson and Luis Robert Jr.
Those four were going to lead an offensive onslaught that would win the Chicago White Sox numerous championships. Instead, injuries and inconsistency ruined all that, and now only Robert Jr. remains on the roster.
Anderson was allowed to leave the Sox last offseason. Eloy was surprisingly traded at the deadline. Moncada joined them as a former Sox player when the club refused to pick up his option.
Disappointment will never be a part of Anderson's legacy, as he won a batting title and made two All-Star teams.
However, Moncada's and Eloy's careers will be labeled as major disappointments on the Southside.
Both showed so much promise in 2019 that it almost seems like a myth that they were once considered rising superstar players.
That is what injuries and speculated questionable work ethic will do.
Moncada hit .315 with a .915 OPS in 2019 and finished with a 5.2 bWAR. Jimenez 31 homers that season.
The future looked so bright but then the injuries started to pile up. When they were in the lineup, they were not performing up to the levels they produced in 2019.
Now, both will be hoping to get a big-league debut as both are on the free-agent market after the Orioles declined to pick up Eloy's option.
Moncada should get a chance to catch on with another MLB team since he still has value as a defender. However, even then, he has been inconsistent in that area. He had a -6 defensive runs saved in 2023, but in 2022 he was 2 DRS.
That is the problem with Moncada outside of his injury problems; you just never know what version you are going to get with him. You also do not know how injuries would impact him at the plate.
He hit .212 in 2022 as he battled injuries but hit .260 in fewer games with various ailments in 2023.
Injuries robbed Eloy of his power and his ability to be a feared hitter, especially this season. He hit just six home runs this season and struggled to put the ball in the air. That's not good if you are going to bill yourself as a slugger.
His decline in crushing home runs has reached the point that he might be lucky to get a non-roster invite to a team's spring training next season.
Eloy legit might have to play in Japan or Korea next year. Insane downfall. https://t.co/ryk7GkZH1u
— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) November 2, 2024
Hey, Dayan Vicedo, another major bust for the White Sox, went on to have a nice career in Japan.
Eloy will always go down as a bigger disappointment than Moncada because he never produced a season where his fWAR was above two.
Moncada at least finished with a 3.7 fWAR in 2021 when he suited up in 144 games. Eloy's best was 1.7 in 2022. That is what happens when you are a terrible defender.
Eloy's defense was so poor that DH was the only position he could fill in the lineup. Even then, he was not very good since he kept producing less than 20 homers after 2019.
Five seasons ago seems like a lifetime ago now for those two as their injuries helped a competitive window slam shut so abruptly. At least Moncada produced some value when he was available, whereas Eloy produced nothing but disappointment.