With trade rumors swirling around him, Mickey Moniak found peace.

In the days leading up to the MLB trade deadline Monday, the Rockies outfielder was often mentioned as a potential trade candidate. As he waited for the deadline to pass, Moniak said goodbye to three of his teammates before the deadline struck at 4 p.m., just before Colorado was slated to host the Tampa Bay Rays at Coors Field.

In the minutes leading up to the deadline, Moniak joked with reporters inside the clubhouse about his most recent buzz cut (“Good airflow, low maintenance,” Moniak said) and teammate Cole Carrigg’s propensity for losing his hat as he makes a catch in the outfield (“He gets a lot of grief all the time,” Moniak said.).

As the clock struck 4 p.m., Moniak was seen hugging his teammates as stretching and batting practice became the Rockies’ focus.

Those hugs, however, weren’t Moniak saying goodbye. Rather, they were letting everyone know he was in Denver to stay.

On Tuesday, Moniak officially signed a two-year contract extension with the Rockies covering the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The extension, reported to be $16.25 million, covers his final year of arbitration (2027) and first year of free agency (2028).

The deal comes at a good time for the 28-year-old Moniak, who announced he and his wife, Sophia, were expecting a baby girl, their first child.

“This just couldn’t be a better fit or a better place to start our family,” Moniak said Tuesday. “We truly love the city of Denver and just love being here and being a Rockie. It’s a place I’ve really grown to love over the last year-and-a-half.”

Moniak came to the Rockies after signing a one-year deal on March 27, 2025. During his time with the Rockies, he has slashed .272/.310/.536 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage) with 33 doubles, 12 triples, 42 home runs and 117 RBIs over 210 games.

He has also become a leader inside the Rockies clubhouse, bringing a work ethic and determination to a team that is trying to avoid its third consecutive 100-loss season.

“In spring training, it was very clear that he is absolutely one of our leaders,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. “Even though he’s a four-plus right now in terms of service time, he’s one of our more veteran players. I also think that’s not just in terms of service time, but in terms of life experience. Mickey’s experienced a lot.”

Moniak was the top overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft and was expected to be a key piece of the future for the Philadelphia Phillies. However, after hitting just .129 in 105 plate appearances over three seasons, the Phillies traded Moniak to the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 2, 2022.

In Anaheim, Moniak grew his numbers over three seasons, batting .242 in 803 plate appearances and posting an OPS+ of 91. Still, the Angels didn’t see him as a part of their future, releasing him March 25, 2025.

Two days later, he joined the Rockies. He has flourished in purple. This season, entering Tuesday night’s home game against Tampa Bay, Moniak has slashed .277/.318/.565 with 13 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 49 RBIs over 75 games.

“Having Mickey extended is music to my ears,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I absolutely love it. Everybody in there (the clubhouse) does.

“He’s just such a big part of what we do and he believes that we are on the right track and that we’re going to turn this thing around quick. And he wants to be a part of it, and that is worth so much.”

Moniak said the core of talent currently in Denver, which includes fellow outfielders Carrigg and Jake McCarthy, third baseman Kyle Karros and catcher Hunter Goodman as key position players, is a big part of why he didn’t want to leave the Rockies for another team.

“I think that’s one of the main reasons why I didn’t want to go anywhere at the trade deadline,” Moniak said. “I truly believe in what we’re doing here. I truly believe in the human beings we have here, from the top down. I think this is a place that’s starving for winning baseball.”

“We want to be building toward something right now, and I think that’s already started,” DePodesta added. “I think signing him is certainly a signal of that, and that was important to us.

“We feel really good about where our position player club is right now, and I think signing Mickey is just an indication of that.”