11 days after the Phillies selected Mickey Moniak first overall in the 2016 MLB Draft, the two sides have agreed to a deal earlier today. The Phillies will introduce the 18-year-old outfielder at a news conference on Tuesday and he will most likely begin his professional career in the Gulf Coast League, which starts play this Friday.
The Phillies were able to sign Moniak to a $6.1 million dollar bonus which is way below the $9.015 million bonus allotted for the pick. This is all part of the Phillies master plan because they save a chunk of money that they can now use to lock up second round pick Kevin Gowdy, who is one of 23 pitchers the Phillies selected in the draft.
The amount of upside Moniak possessed was too much for the Phillies to pass on with the number one pick. Moniak is an excellent hitter, has solid speed, can turn into a gold-glove caliber defender, and can very well be a five-tool player, which are hard to come by in today’s game. The safe bet for Moniak’s arrival time to the majors is 2020, but according to multiple experts, Moniak could potentially move through the Phillies farm system in two and a half years with his skills.
With the Moniak deal officially complete, the Phillies have agreed to deals with seven out of the 10 players they took in the first ten rounds of the MLB Draft, including third round pick Cole Stobbe, who received a $1.3 million signing bonus from the Phillies. Second pick and 18-year-old pitcher, Kevin Gowdy should be next to sign a deal very soon and we will keep you updated as the Phillies lock up more pieces for the future.
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