Philadelphia Phillies: Time to throw in the Mickey Moniak towel?

They could have had anyone. At the 2016 MLB draft, the Philadelphia Phillies lost their way to the top the season prior.

It was only the second time in franchise history when they would get a chance to pick first. Back in 1998, Pat Burrell was the selection. He had a long and successful career with the Phillies. The man they’d take in 2016, hasn’t gotten off the ground just yet.

Mickey Moniak went first overall to the Phillies in 2016. The slight-of-frame high school outfielder was still a teenager and had time to grow. Now nearly a full six years later, we’re still waiting to see what all of the fuss was all about.

Is it time for the Phildelphia Phillies to throw in the towel on Mickey Moniak?

Moniak has only 29 games of big league experience. It’s hardly enough to make a full assessment of what he can or cannot do for them.

The problem is how poorly those 55 plate appearances have gone. Moniak has hit only .128/.241/.192 in those limited opportunities. It’s such a small sample and only a tiny part of why it may be time to wave the white flag and move on from him.

Set to hit 24-years-old this spring, Moniak has not been a particularly good player at the minor league level either. He’s hitting just a hair over .250 and has an OBP of only .301. This is at the minor league level where a first overall pick should be dominating or at least putting up replacement level numbers. By this time, he should be smashing his fists against the big league door for a regular role. Instead, he’s standing there silently hoping someone hopes it and he can do his sales pitch.

There’s no urgency to move on from Moniak. He has minor league options and isn’t making a lot of money. What spawned this idea in my head was the trade proposal put together for the team to acquire Kevin Kiermaier from the Tampa Bay Rays. Moniak should have some value on the trade market. Any team looking to snag a prospect with upside would surely have to kick the tires on the thought of landing a former first overall pick. The Rays, a team with a reputation for winning trades and turning the careers around of many players, might fit into this category.

The final bell on Moniak’s career with the Phillies hasn’t rung yet. The possibility of flipping him soon and helping the team immediately could force a change of scenery for him and plan for the Philadelphia outfield.