ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Outfielder Mickey Moniak was released by the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday after beating the team in salary arbitration and will receive $483,781 in termination pay rather than his $2 million salary.
Under the collective bargaining agreement that started in 2022, salaries of arbitration-eligible players that are agreed to are guaranteed but salaries determined by arbitration panels are not. Players with nonguaranteed contracts who are released during the 15 days prior to opening day receive 45 days termination pay.
Last year, New York Mets pitcher Phil Bickford and San Francisco third baseman J.D. Davis were released during spring training after winning in arbitration.
Los Angeles also agreed with infielder Nicky Lopez on an $850,000, one-year contract, designated left-handers José Quijada and Angel Perdomo for assignment and selected the contracts of shortstop Tim Anderson from Triple-A Salt Lake and right-hander Ryan Johnson from the Arizona Complex League Angels.
Johnson was selected in the second round of last year’s amateur draft out of Dallas Baptist and would become only the third player since 2001 to play in the major leagues without appearing in the minors, after pitchers Garrett Crochet and Mike Leake.
Anderson gets a $1.25 million salary while in the major leagues. The 31-year-old won the 2019 AL batting title and was an All-Star with the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and ’22.
He hit .214 with no homers, nine RBIs and four stolen bases in 234 at-bats last year with the Miami Marlins, all career lows. Anderson didn’t play between May 10 and 21 because of lower back tightness. He was designated for assignment on July 2 and released three days later.
Moniak hit .219 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs last season for the Angels, who acquired the former No. 1 overall draft pick from Philadelphia in August 2022 in a trade for pitcher Noah Syndergaard. In 2 1/2 seasons with Los Angeles, Moniak batted .242 with 100 RBIs and a .709 OPS.
He was awarded the $2 million salary on Jan. 31 instead of the team's $1.5 million offer.
Moniak was expected to share the Angels' starting job in center field this season with Jo Adell, making his release a surprising development two days before the start of the regular season.
Moniak's release appeared to open a roster spot for Matthew Lugo, the 23-year-old outfielder acquired from Boston at last year's trade deadline in a deal for reliever Luis García. Lugo has never played in the majors.
The Angels open the season Thursday on the road against the White Sox. Los Angeles has the majors' longest active streaks of nine straight losing seasons and 10 straight non-playoff seasons.
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