Angels let breakout bat slip away and it’s looking worse every day

The National League leader in home runs is a name that will be familiar to Los Angeles Angels fans. Former Angels' outfielder Mickey Moniak, now with the Rockies, leads the NL with 11 round trippers on the season. He's hitting .327/.374/.724, and only New York Yankees slugger Ben Rice has a higher OPS this season.

Angels fans will remember that Moniak was the sacrificial lamb when Los Angeles signed former White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson to a contract last spring. Anderson lasted just a few months and was eventually released on May 29 after hitting just .205/.258/.241 in 31 games with the Halos last season.

Mickey Moniak's rise makes Angels' front office look even worse

There's no way to sugarcoat how abysmal general manager Perry Minasian and the Angels front office has been for the last several seasons. While there are a number of other factors at play — including owner Arte Moreno — there's no way to excuse how poorly LA's roster has been managed over the last several seasons.

Angels fans are no stranger to bad contracts having seen the likes of Anthony Rendon, Josh Hamilton, and Albert Pujols land mega-deals that cripple the franchise financially. In recent memory, the Halos have failed make any meaningful free agent additions, instead opting for the likes of Yoan Moncada, Robert Stephenson, and Brandon Drury.

Moniak's success with Colorado is just the latest example of why Minasian is unlikely to receive a new contract before the end of the season. In fact, he could be terminated before the season comes to a close.

The upcoming MLB Draft and the July trade deadline may be the only two things keeping Minasian from losing his job at the moment. Both Minasian and new manager Kurt Suzuki are on expiring contracts this season.

While he's surely aided by the thin air and expansive outfield in Denver, Moniak has hit .280/.319/.556 in 162 games with the Rockies. By the way, he's only making $4 million this season and is under team control through 2027. After being released by the Angels last May, the aforementioned Anderson never picked up a bat for another organization.

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