Angels release outfielder Mickey Moniak

The Angels released outfielder Mickey Moniak on Tuesday morning, apparently clearing the way for Jo Adell to be the everyday center fielder.

The move with Moniak was a surprise because neither he nor Adell had separated themselves this spring, so it seemed as if the Angels might keep both of them into the season and go with whoever took control of the job.

Now, the Angels are left with Adell and a cast of players who could play center field occasionally, but not on an everyday basis. Mike Trout, who is now the right fielder, could obviously still play center field when Adell needs a day off. Taylor Ward can also play center field occasionally.

By taking Moniak off the roster, the Angels cleared space to possibly keep Matthew Lugo as the fourth outfielder. Lugo, 23, has hit .298 with an .807 OPS this spring. He played 17 of his 117 innings this spring in center field.

Moniak, 26, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. The Philadelphia Phillies traded him to the Angels in the 2022 Noah Syndergaard deal. With the Angels, Moniak hit .242 with a .709 OPS in 228 games. He seemed to have a breakthrough in 2023, when he posted an .802 OPS, but that dropped to .646 last season. He had a .606 OPS this spring.

Moniak won a $2 million salary in an arbitration hearing. The Angels will still have to pay him just over $480,000.

More to come on this story.