The Atlanta Braves are getting closer to Opening Day, but the outfield spots remain an issue for the team. The Braves survived an injury scare when Jurickson Profar jammed his wrist during Spring Training and are hoping for Jarred Kelenic’s attempt to hold down the fort until Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to return from injury hit a roadblock after a strong spring from Bryan De La Cruz.
But utilityman Eli White is the only other capable outfielder on the roster. This was part of the reason the Braves signed Alex Verdugo to a minor league deal and Atlanta may have another obvious target in a former No. 1 overall pick that was released on Tuesday.
Braves Should Target Outfielder Mickey Moniak After Angels Release
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Los Angeles Angels have released outfielder Mickey Moniak. The No. 1 overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft came to Los Angeles in a trade featuring fellow outfielder Brandon Marsh but couldn’t revive his career, hitting .242/.279/.430 with 31 home runs and 100 RBI in three seasons with the Angels.
Despite the limited production, which included a .219/.266/.380 line with 14 homers and 49 RBI last season, Moniak flashed hitting .280/.307/.495 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI for the Angels in 2023. While that performance came in a limited 85-game sample size, the Braves could hope to get something along those lines while adding to their depth in the outfield.
De La Cruz is a meager offensive player with a .253/.297/.407 line through four major league seasons and White is a utility player who appeared in just 35 games last season. While the Braves will go into the season with both players on the roster, things could get difficult if Profar or Kelenic suffer an injury before Acuña’s projected return in May.
An added bonus of picking up Moniak could be his ability to play center field. The 26-year-old played 101 games in center for the Angels with a defensive run saved last season. He was even better with five defensive runs saved in 54 games during the 2023 season and could spell Michael Harris, who has averaged 120 games played in his first three seasons.
A former No. 1 overall pick should have a strong market ahead of Opening Day and the Braves could hope to catch lightning in a bottle while solving their depth issues.