With Moncada trade, White Sox rebuild underway

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Here we go.

After hemming and hawing about whether to rebuild or try to contend seemingly since Chris Sale’s rookie season, the White Sox decided on a full rebuild on Tuesday.

The White Sox traded Sale to the Red Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and two other prospects signaling an overdue change in philosophy for the ownership group and front office. It likely won’t be the last trade that Rick Hahn and Ken Williams make at the Winter Meetings.

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Every veteran on the White Sox roster is in play now, including Jose Quintana, Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton. The goal is to build a contender with some shelf life, like the South Side teams from the early 1990s, constructed around Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura, Ozzie Guillen and pitchers like Jack McDowell, Alex Fernandez and Wilson Alvarez.

Landing Moncada — a 21-year-old switch-hitter — to play alongside 22-year-old shortstop Tim Anderson is a great start. He perfectly fits the mold of a controllable impact hitter that Hahn had said he had to get in any deal for Sale, who makes the Red Sox the team to beat in the American League.

It’s surprising — no, astonishing — that the Red Sox would deal MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect less than two years after committing $63 million in bonuses and taxes to get his rights.

But Dave Dombrowski wasn’t the executive who recommended that outlay to Red Sox ownership, and he was able to convince his bosses that having Sale in his age-28 season (and -29 and -30 seasons) would be worth seeing Moncada develop into an All-Star elsewhere. The Red Sox were only willing to deal Moncada because they have so many other talented position players under age 25, including outfielder Andrew Benintendi, whom the White Sox …

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