Angels release former No. 1 pick Mickey Moniak after a brutal Spring Training

Former No. 1 overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft, Mickey Moniak, has been released by the Los Angeles Angels days before Opening Day.

Angels release former No. 1 pick Mickey Moniak after a brutal Spring Training

The Angels are releasing Mickey Moniak, per multiple reports pic.twitter.com/KD5PlzI8ds

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 25, 2025

Tough break for my guy Mickey Moniak but the Angels opted to clear the runway for Jo Adell to take over as the Angels’ everyday center fielder, while Mike Trout slides over to right field.

Mickey Moniak never quite figured it out. He had the athleticism, he had the pedigree, he even had a few flashes of promise — especially with a decent 2023 — but he just couldn’t get his approach at the plate to match up with big-league pitching.

His spring stats this year was absolutely brutal. Moniak slashed .173/.224/.346 with 17 strikeouts in 58 plate appearances. Not exactly the “make the team” type numbers.

The Timing Is Rough (Unless You’re Arte Moreno)

Because Moniak took the Angels to arbitration in January — and won — he was due $2 million for 2025. But since he was one of the few players who didn’t settle before the filing deadline, the Angels can now release him with only 45 days’ termination pay.

That means Moniak walks with around $484,000 and no job, while the Angels save a little over $1.5 million. Nothing personal, I guess but that’s pretty slimy for my guy Mick.

I guess the Angels would respond by saying “it’s just business” so whatever- it just feels even more cold-blooded when you realize it’s eerily similar to what the Giants did to J.D. Davis last spring. A lesson to anyone that’s an arb-eligible player thinking about going to a hearing next winter… maybe take the deal.

Phillies legend and former baseball prodigy Scott Kingery has been DFA’d by the Los Angeles Angels

Moniak’s future is murky. He’s still just 26, and there’s some market for toolsy outfielders who can run into a fastball once in a while. He hit .280 with 14 bombs in 2023, and that’s not nothing. But his on-base percentage is a mess, and he’s got a whiff rate that would make Rob Deer blush.

Detroit could be a landing spot, given their recent outfield injury bug — but even they just scooped up Manuel Margot. Moniak might be looking at a minor league deal and a chance to rebuild in Triple-A, hoping someone gives him another shot.

The Phillies Trade Lookin’ Real Mid…

Let’s not forget: Moniak was part of the return for checks notes Noah Syndergaard. That deal never really felt like a win for either side, and now it’s just another footnote in the Phillies’ long history of first-round picks not panning out.

For now, the curtain just dropped on his Angels chapter — and it dropped hard. I wouldn’t be doing our fine readers any justice by not at least CONSIDERING a curtain call with the Philadelphia Phillies for Mickey Moniak.

Bring Mickey Home: Moniak’s Time in Philly Deserves a Second Chapter

Now 26 and looking for a second chance, Moniak is suddenly a free agent. And given the Phillies’ current roster makeup, the vibes, and Moniak’s own words from back in 2022, maybe it’s time to bring Mickey home.

Here’s what he said after being traded to the Angels in the Noah Syndergaard swap:

“Looking back on my time in Philadelphia, I was grateful for it… But I think that, you know, for me, I’ve always been a guy that maybe takes a little bit to get comfortable at every level, and once I get comfortable, it’s on from there. So, wasn’t really given that opportunity there, which makes sense. They’re always in a pennant hunt with a lot of money on the field, so just to be here and be told that you’re gonna go out and play and have some fun is huge.”

Translation: I wasn’t bad, I was just rushed and buried behind millionaires.

And honestly? Fair point.

Philadelphia didn’t exactly give him the runway to figure it out. He debuted as a wide-eyed 22-year-old in 2020, barely had consistent at-bats, and was shuffled between AAA and the bigs more than his fellow ex-Angels teammate Scott Kingery. He needed reps. He needed patience. He needed space to fail — and Philly had no time for that during a decade-long playoff drought.

Fast-forward to 2025 and Moniak’s career has stalled again but hey, if The Mick still has speed, pop, that’s the kind of tools you can’t teach. If there’s any team that can afford to give him a soft landing spot, it’s the Phillies.

Would he crack the Opening Day roster? Probably not. But Triple-A Lehigh Valley? A depth option behind a lefty-heavy outfield that could always use a spark plug? Absolutely.

Bring him in. Let him hit in a system he knows, around people who still root for the guy. Let the Moniak redemption arc start where it all began. Philly fans love a good second-chance story, especially when it comes with some grit and humility.

At the very least, he’s not costing you $2 million this time. And if he turns into anything close to the player he was hyped to be — even as a fourth outfielder — it’ll be the kind of underdog story this city thrives on.

Mickey Moniak might not be a franchise savior. But he’s still got enough juice for one more shot.

Bring Mickey home.

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