News of Phormer Phillies, 2024

[phillychuck]

Rockies sign Mickey Moniak to a 1 year major league deal.

Good for him. I wonder what his win in arbitration means for his salary in that deal? Nothing?

[Philsmania]

Arbitration awards are not fully guaranteed. He got 45 days termination pay from the Angels. This article explains it.

Angels release former No. 1 draft pick Mickey Moniak just before Opening Day,...

[zambonir]

Rockies may have opted to essentially match (minus the $ he already gets from Anaheim). Or he might just be getting minimum in which case he'll make less in total this year than what the Angels offered (which would have been fully guaranteed had he not gone to hearing).

[zambonir]

Moniak, the top pick in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, is expected to sign a one-year, $1.25 million dollar contract while also receiving termination pay after being released by the Angels on Tuesday.

So he gets a little more than he rejected from the Angels in total but less than he won in arb.

Breaking News: Rockies appear to be signing Mickey Moniak, also announce new TV...

[phillychuck]

I didn't realize that a player who is a borderline major-leaguer is probably smarter not going to arbitration with his team to guarantee his salary. I would have thought Moniak's agent would have tried to settle before the hearing.

[zambonir]

Well, Moniak and his agent probably didn't think he was going to hit .192 in spring training and not make the team. They were correct to believe that his defensive value and a system that rewards service time more than performance - plus the fact that it was not much money - gave them a chance to win, and they did. These sort of releases are extremely rare.

Good thing for Kingery that he didn't go to arbitration!

[andyb]

I hope the Rockies aren't trying to save money going with a 25-man roster which I think is legal. More likely the AI bot that wrote that story is clueless.

[zambonir]

Or an actual live blogger made an error!

[Philsmania]

I didn't realize that a player who is a borderline major-leaguer is probably smarter not going to arbitration with his team to guarantee his salary. I would have thought Moniak's agent would have tried to settle before the hearing.

Yeah, his agent is probably breathing a sigh of relief that Moniak still ended up getting a little bit more than what the Angels offered though I doubt losing Moniak as a client would cut off a lucrative future cash stream.

[zambonir]

Yeah it is more likely he has not been one of the Wasserman Group's top priorities. They probably let some junior agent handle arbitration for non-stars. But I bet the guy still gets a bonus for winning the hearing. These sort of 45-day releases are too rare an occurrence to where you would expect or prepare for them.

[andyb]

Ben Brown wins the 5th starter job for the Cubs.

[David_Criss]

Hector Neris DFAed by Braves

[Philsmania]

Hector Neris DFAed by Braves

I always thought Neris was better than the Phillies fanbase thought he was. Unfortunately for him, what always stood out with him were his annual mid-season crises of confidence when he would completely unravel for two or three weeks before snapping back out if it and being good again.

[zambonir]

He was basically Alvarado, except without there being a better reliever/closer higher in the pecking order, so his failings were magnified, and his best seasons didn't really matter because the teams weren't good enough either.

Seranthony came closest and got hurt. Robertson was an immediate bust. Hunter was equally erratic. Neshek was the best of them on a bad team (and not as good the second time).

He had a nice run after leaving us because we transitioned him away from closer in 2020 (not that there was anyone better that year on the Phillies either) and the Astros were able to continue that. But things really started to fall apart for him last last season. Cubs kind of did him dirty but he couldn't get it together back in Houston, and now with the Braves.

[bkox]

Let the record reflect that this absolute DEMON Emaarion Boyd has stolen 6 (SIX) bases tonight. The Runnin' Carp have taken 9 (NINE) bags as a team. It's a fun team, folks! pic.twitter.com/ntiStrlin3

— Beloit Sky Carp ( @beloitskycarp ) April 10, 2025

[andyb]

In the other direction, Jadiel Sanchez was among Angels players released at the end of Spring Training. He was decent in 2023 but stalled last year for them. I always thought he was an underrated player in our system and was a little worried when he was the extra player in that deal (Moniak and Sanchez for Syndegaard). Heck we might have actually won that deal..

Angels Release 11 Players Ahead of Opening Day

[dcsman]

Yeah, but O'Hoppe is looking pretty good this year while Marsh ... well, isn't.

[zambonir]

Phillies won that trade already. Marsh will come around. And he'll eventually be traded, non-tendered or lost in free agency. But what he and the team did the last three years (an probably still this one) already outweighs whatever Hoppe might do in the next four. Hoppe was also getting traded no matter what so the only comparisons are unknown (who they could have gotten for him instead).

[andyb]

Austin Hays 2 HR and 6 RBI in his first 3 games for the Reds.

[zambonir]

Well of course.

Good news is he'll be available again in July.