ANAHEIM -- The Angels have released outfielder Mickey Moniak, the team announced on Tuesday.
The club will owe him only about $484,000 of the $2 million salary he won in arbitration this winter, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Moniak, the No. 1 overall pick by the Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft, will now be a free agent.
¡°As we improve as an organization, which is obviously the goal, the decisions become tougher,¡± Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Tuesday as he announced a slew of roster moves. ¡°I think that¡¯s something we want every year. We want difficult decisions every single year. That means your 40-man¡¯s better, your depth¡¯s better, that means you¡¯re drafting the right players. From an international standpoint, you¡¯re signing the right players.¡±
Moniak, 26, struggled to find his footing with Philadelphia, though he was poised to break camp with the team in 2022 before he fractured his hand on a hit-by-pitch in the Grapefruit League finale, costing him almost two months. The Phillies flipped him to the Angels at that year's Trade Deadline as part of the return for Noah Syndergaard, and Moniak finally enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, hitting 14 homers with a .280 average and an .802 OPS (114 OPS+) through 85 games with Los Angeles.
Though he played in a career-high 124 games last year, including 101 in center field, his production regressed, as he hit 14 home runs, batted .219 and recorded a .646 OPS.
For his career, the left-handed-hitting Moniak owns a .230/.272/.402 slash line through 275 Major League games.
Manager Ron Washington called the decision to move on from Moniak ¡°very tough.¡±
¡°He¡¯s a good guy, he meant a lot to us,¡± Washington said, prior to the Angels' 4-1 loss to the Dodgers at Angel Stadium on Tuesday. ¡°But again, there¡¯s always competition, and there¡¯s always the possibility of someone coming. This spring, it was Kyren Paris. We just feel like he deserves to be here and get an opportunity to run around in centerfield.¡±
Paris, who was drafted by the Angels out of high school in 2019, has played 36 games with the big league club over the past two seasons but has struggled at the plate. The 23-year-old has a .110 career batting average with 10 hits and one home run in 105 plate appearances.
Paris has appeared at second base, shortstop, center field and designated hitter for the Angels after playing primarily middle infield in the Minors. He will begin 2025 as the team¡¯s fourth outfielder, backing up Jo Adell in center field.
¡°We believe in him,¡± Minasian said of Paris. ¡°In the short period of time he played center field in Spring Training, he looked very natural.¡±
Washington said Paris will likely play once or twice a week but could earn more playing time if he performs well.