Yesterday, before the game, he also interacted cordially with Shohei Ohtani in 2016, and the champion was released by the Angels today

The Los Angeles Angels announced today the release of outfielder Mickey Moniak, the top pick in the 2016 draft, who was a free agent after talking and laughing with former teammate Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers before the warm-up game yesterday.

Moniak had just won the salary arbitration and received a $2 million salary, but according to MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand, the Angels only need about $48,000 in a release fee instead of $2 million.

Announcing the roster changes, Angels General Manager Perry Minasian said, "These decisions have become more difficult as we continue to improve as a team, and we want to face that difficult decision every year, which means we have a stronger 40-man roster, better depth in the squad, and it also means we've made the right choices in terms of drafts, international signings, etc."

Moniak has a good relationship with Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani had previously mimicked the movements of Disney character "Mickey" to tease Moniak, and this scene was widely circulated among fans.

Before the warm-up game against the Dodgers on the 24th, Moniak and Shohei Ohtani reunited on the court. He takes off his hat and shows off his freshly trimmed hair, while Otani jokingly touches his head, and the two interact cordially.

Angels head coach Ron Washington admits it was a tough decision to give up Moniak, "He's a great player and it means a lot to us, but there's always been competition and there's always new players coming in. This spring, we see Kyren Paris. I think he deserves a chance here and develops in the midfield."

Moniak, 26, was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft and topped the major leagues in 2020.

In the spring of 2022, he had the opportunity to be named to the major league roster in the opening game, but was hit by a touch ball in the final warm-up game and fractured his hand, resulting in a nearly two-month absence, and in the middle of the 2022 season, he came to the Angels through a trade for Noah Syndergaard and became teammates with Shohei Ohtani, who now plays for the Dodgers.

Moniak had the best year of his career in 2023, hitting 14 home runs in 85 games and batting at a 0.280 batting average. Last year, he played a career-high 124 games, including 101 as a midfielder, but his performance declined, hitting only 14 home runs, his batting average dropped to 0.219, and his OPS was just 0.646.

This year's spring training Moniak played 21 games and underperformed, hitting just 0.173 batting average, two home runs, and 9 RBIs. He has accumulated 275 games in his major league career, hitting 0.230/0.272/0.402 in three rounds.