The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor league contract with former Baltimore Orioles slugger, cancer survivor and 2022 World Series champion Trey Mancini, Triple-A Reno announced on Friday.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the signing.
Mancini, a right-handed-hitting first baseman and corner outfielder, received an invitation to spring training, an opportunity to compete for a major league roster spot for the first time since 2023.
Passan reported the 32-year-old has remained in shape with eyes on returning to the big leagues.
Who is Trey Mancini?
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Mancini was a bright spot during Baltimore’s rebuild in the late 2010s, blasting 83 home runs with a .275/.334/.480 batting line from 2017-19. He finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year race in 2017 behind winner Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.
His life changed in the spring of 2020, as he missed the COVID-19 shortened season following a colon cancer diagnosis.
“I was coming off the best year of my career,” Mancini wrote in the Players’ Tribune. “And I’d just reached the point that I’d been working toward my whole life — in January I’d signed a new contract. … And without the Orioles I never would have caught this before it may have been too late.
“I’ve got other things to worry about right now,” he added. “But still, every once in a while I catch myself thinking ahead — to when chemo is over, to when they remove my port, to when I can start going full-speed again. And I already can’t wait for spring training.”
By the end of the year, he was cancer free, and he made an admirable return to the diamond in 2021.
Mancini played 147 games for Baltimore and hit another 21 home runs to eclipse 100 for his career. He produced a .758 OPS and had the opportunity to compete in the Home Run Derby. He particularly crushed lefties that year (.899 OPS), although his platoon splits have been pretty even throughout his career.
Trey Mancini was given a standing ovation at Camden Yards in his first home at-bat following treatment for colon cancer.
Just awesome pic.twitter.com/LFfeI0x2TG
— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2021
The Orioles eventually traded Mancini to the contending Houston Astros at the 2022 trade deadline, just as Baltimore was turning the corner from rebuilder to frisky postseason contender.
Mancini only hit .176 in Houston, but he won his first World Series title as the Astros knocked off the Philadelphia Phillies.
Despite the lack of offense, he made a significant defensive play at first base in a critical juncture. He snagged a potential game-tying hotshot from Kyle Schwarber with runners on the corners in the eighth inning to maintain Houston’s 3-2 lead in Game 5 of a tied series. The play ended the frame, Houston held on for the win and claimed the title in Game 6.
You know what they say about defense and championships. @TreyMancini
pic.twitter.com/8JtDwqSthO
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 4, 2022
The veteran played 79 games for the Chicago Cubs the following year, although 2023 was the worst season of his career across the board. The Cubs cut him in August with a .635 OPS, an elevated 29.7% strikeout rate and only four home runs. He crushed fastballs earlier in his career but slugged a poor .312 against heaters while in Chicago.
After an otherwise solid carer was halted, Mancini gets a new shot on a team looking to contend in 2025, giving the Diamondbacks another right-handed power option to evaluate in camp.
Arizona bolstered its lineup earlier this week by bringing back outfielder Randal Grichuk, who is expected to continue in his role as a platoon bat who crushes lefties.
The Diamondbacks’ outfield depth consists of Grichuk, Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jorge Barrosa and Pavin Smith, plus non-roster invitees Garrett Hampson and Cristian Pache.
At first base, the D-backs lost Christian Walker to Houston in free agency but traded for former Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor. Smith will likely also see time at first and as the designated hitter against righties.
Spring training games begin on Feb. 21 after pitchers and catcher report on Wednesday.
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