Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Mickey Moniak has surprisingly signed with a new team after being released by the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Thomas Harding and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that Moniak has signed a one-year, $1.25 million guaranteed deal with the Colorado Rockies. The 26-year-old outfielder was shockingly released earlier this week by the Angels after spending a little over 2.5 seasons with the club.
However, since he was released so close to Opening Day, the former Phillies outfielder will get $484,000 termination pay from Los Angeles. According to Feinsand and Harding, Los Angeles owes Moniak 45 days of salary after winning his arbitration case this winter for $2 million as those contracts aren’t guaranteed.
Nonetheless, this is a good opportunity for Moniak to show he can be a solid fourth outfielder in the major leagues. He won’t be an everyday starter in Colorado, but they need outfield depth, and he can play all three outfield positions.
Last season with the Angels, Moniak hit .219 with 17 doubles, 14 home runs, and 49 RBI. It was good to see Moniak’s power numbers stay the same from where they were in 2023 (14 home runs and 45 RBI).
However, seeing his batting average drop from .280 to .219 wasn’t good. Granted, he played more games last season (124) than in 2023 (85), but you never want to see that drop off in a short period.
Phillies fans will get a chance to see Moniak early next week as the Colorado Rockies will visit Citizens Bank Park for a three-game set.
Moniak’s tenure in Philadelphia didn’t go as planned for the former No. 1 overall pick. In 47 career games with the Phils, he slashed .129/.214/.172 with one home run and five RBI. The fans hoped he could be a part of the team's future in the outfielder, but it never materialized as they traded him to the Angels on August 2, 2022, for veteran pitcher Noah Syndergaard.