Mickey Moniak, Phillies Agree on Contract: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Philadelphia Phillies locked up Mickey Moniak on Monday after taking the outfielder first overall in the 2016 MLB draft on June 9. 

MLB.com’s Jim Callis was among the first to report the news, and he provided contract details:

Moniak had been committed to UCLA before the draft, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. However, his deal with the Phillies ensures that he will forgo college baseball and work toward joining the big club as soon as next season.  

Moniak took a pay cut of roughly $3 million, which Zolecki said will go toward signing some of the team’s other prospects:

He is expected to start Friday with the club’s Gulf Coast League team, per Philly.com’s Matt Breen. The league consists of young draft picks and international players. 

With no clear-cut favorite to go No. 1 overall in the draft, Philadelphia’s amateur scouting director, Johnny Almaraz, believes the Phillies signed the best player available, per Zolecki.

I think you’ll have a Gold Glove center fielder who will hit in the middle of the lineup and be a leader on the team.

[…]

He was No. 1 on my list — he was the best player in the country. There was no projection with Mickey Moniak. He possesses the ability that a lot of college players don’t possess. He can run. He can throw. He can hit. His abilities are superior, and that’s why we took him.

Almaraz also said he expects Moniak to hit between 15 and 22 home runs a season.

These projections seem valid, as Moniak is a complete player who could develop into a stalwart at the top of the Phillies’ batting order. MLB.com provided a profile of Moniak’s skills:

Moniak will be a welcome addition to a Philadelphia team that has been putrid offensively.

The team ranks last in the National League in scoring this season after finishing with the third-fewest runs scored in 2015.

Philadelphia has a nice young core to build around moving forward. Outfielders Tyler Goeddel, 23, and Odubel Herrera, 24, are already significant contributors for the squad, with Herrera leading the team with a .302 batting average. Third baseman Maikel Franco, 23, leads the team in home runs with 11 and RBI with 33.

Add in Moniak and a couple of high picks in the next few seasons, and the Phillies could become a contender in the National League East in the near future.

 

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

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Fan Accused of Throwing Bottle at Ryan Howard Cited by Police

The identity of the person who threw an aluminum beer bottle at Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was revealed Monday.

According to the police, 21-year-old Sidney Smith, a student at the University of Delaware, turned himself in last week and confessed, per Chris Palmer of Philly.com.

He was cited for disorderly conduct, and authorities did not disclose what caused Smith to come clean.

After grounding out in his only at-bat to end a 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on June 4, Howard was walking back to the dugout when the object was launched toward him and landed at his side. Howard yelled into the crowd, but Smith bolted out of Citizens Bank Park before security could apprehend him.

A witness to the incident said Smith moved down to the front row of his section and tossed the bottle, per Palmer.

“He just chucked his beer and turned around and got out of there as fast as he could,” Dennis Gabert, the witness, said. 

Deadspin posted an image of the suspect on Twitter:

Police believe the man in the photo to be Smith, according to Palmer.

Howard commented on the issue the following day, per the Associated Press (via Fox 29 in Philadelphia).

“I’ve done too much in this town to have that kind of stuff,” he said. “If you want to yell out…that’s whatever. But when you start throwing stuff, that’s when stuff gets personal.”

The 36-year-old slugger is struggling this season. Through 53 games, he is hitting .150 with nine home runs and 20 RBI. Howard, who is making $25 million in 2016, has struck out 56 times.

Fans may be frustrated with Howard, but throwing debris on the field is uncalled for. Hopefully, the public backlash from the incident discourages other fans from engaging in similar behavior. 

 

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.

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