It has been an active couple of days on the MLB transaction wire as teams around the league make final roster cuts ahead of Opening Day. That list includes notable names like Mitch Haniger, Adam Ottavino, Dominic Smith and Ben Gamel. With a wide selection of available talent to choose from, the Philidelphia Phillies were quick to claim hard-throwing right-hander Carlos Hernández off waivers from the Kansas City Royals, adding another power arm to the Opening Day bullpen in a surprise move that resulted in the Phillies releasing right-handed pitcher and South Jersey native Tyler Phillips.
It's a tough time for players like Phillips, who have MLB experience and are out of minor league options. That was also evident when the Los Angeles Angels DFA'd former Phillies top prospect and $24 million bust Scott Kingery last week before outrighting him to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. But baseball can be a cruel business, and Kingery isn't the only former Phillies top prospect shown the door by the Angels ahead of Opening Day.
Angels release Phillies' 2016 draft mistake Mickey Moniak ahead of Opening Day
It's safe to say things haven't gone smoothly for Phillies 2016 first-round pick Mickey Moniak since making his MLB debut during the 2020 season. The once coveted high school talent, who was the No. 1 overall pick in his draft, quickly fell out of the Phillies' plans and became an afterthought despite debuting at age 22 and appearing in 47 games for the team between 2020-2022. The Phillies finally dealt Moniak to the Angels at the 2022 MLB trade deadline to acquire right-handed starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard in a move that ultimately backfired for both teams after the Angels released Moniak on Tuesday.
A clarification on what Moniak would be owed when released: Because it’s so close to Opening Day, the collective-bargaining agreement stipulates a player would receive 45 days of pay out of the 186-day schedule — $483,970.97, to be precise, in Moniak’s case. https://t.co/Anlv4mXrVh
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 25, 2025
The change of scenery to the West Coast looked like it would be good for Moniak after he put together a solid showing during his first full season with the Angels. Moniak hit .280 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 85 games in 2023. While the 26-year-old was able to match his home run (14) and RBI (49) totals last year, he produced an uninspiring .219 batting average and .266 on-base percentage. The Angels had clearly seen enough this spring after Moniak struggled in exhibition play, batting a disappointing .179 with 18 strikeouts and nine hits in 52 at-bats, resulting in his release on Tuesday.
Moniak, who will turn 27 years old in May, probably won't be out of work long, with teams currently adding bench pieces via the MLB waiver wire. While the former top prospect has shown promise at the plate over his last two seasons, Moniak will likely begin this season as outfield depth at the minor league level for a rival ball club and will hope to make a strong enough impression to make his way back to the big leagues later this year. Either way, it's an unfortunate outcome for the former Phillies prospect as he tries to latch onto another team.