Veteran first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini opted out of a minor league cope with the Marlins late final spring and didn’t signal a brand new cope with any crew for the 2024 season, as an alternative selecting to stay residence. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old tells Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner that he’s now eyeing a comeback bid in 2025 after a 12 months away from the sport.
Followers of Mancini will wish to take a look at the piece in full. It’s rife with considerate quotes from Mancini and his spouse on the slugger’s journey by way of his harrowing Stage 3 colon most cancers prognosis in 2020 and the psychological toll that state of affairs took on him even after he overcame the illness and made an inspirational return to baseball in 2021. Mancini mentioned for the primary a number of months of the season, he was at peace together with his choice and thought he was content material with the profession he’d put collectively.
“However I feel, on the similar time, I don’t precisely love how issues led to my profession, and I actually do suppose if I’m in the fitting state of affairs, I can nonetheless be an influence bat,” Mancini informed Kostka. “And I do know saying meaning nothing an I’d need to go on the market and show it, however I’m absolutely able to go do this. I simply type of obtained that starvation again, out of nowhere, truthfully.”
Earlier than that most cancers prognosis, Mancini was regular in the course of a then-rebuilding Baltimore membership’s lineup. He belted 24 homers in 2017 and 2018 earlier than having fun with a career-best .291/.364/.535 batting line in 2019. That was the 12 months of the juiced ball, however Mancini’s batting line was nonetheless a hefty 32% higher than the league common, even in that heightened run-scoring setting, by the measure of wRC+. He drilled 35 residence runs that season, walked in a career-best 9.3% of his plate appearances, and struck out at a career-low 21.1% fee. Juiced ball or not, Mancini had the clear look of a participant on the rise in his age-27 season.
Mancini’s most cancers prognosis prevented him from enjoying in 2020 and adjusted each his profession and broader life trajectory. After saying he was cancer-free, he returned to a hero’s welcome in 2021. He participated in that season’s Residence Run Derby — ending runner-up to Pete Alonso — and was in the end named 2021’s American League Comeback Participant of the 12 months. He break up the 2022 marketing campaign between the O’s and the Astros, transferring to Houston on the deadline and happening to win a World Collection ring.
Nevertheless, Mancini’s time with the Astros wasn’t as much as the requirements he’d set in Baltimore. He was slashing .268/.347/.404 on the time of the commerce however slumped to a .176/.258/.364 output together with his new membership as he adjusted to a brand new setting and extra restricted position. Mancini went on to signal a two-year, $14M contract with the Cubs within the 2022-23 offseason however by no means discovered his footing in Chicago. He appeared in 79 video games however batted solely .234/.299/.336 with 4 residence runs in 263 plate appearances earlier than being launched.
Solely time will inform whether or not Mancini has one other run in him, however he’s nonetheless simply 32 years previous (33 subsequent March). Given his age and prior monitor file, a rebound marketing campaign definitely isn’t out of the query, even when it’s one thing of an extended shot (as is inherently the case with most mid-30s comeback endeavors). For golf equipment wanting so as to add some right-handed pop to their nook outfield/first base/bench combine, there’s just about no danger in signing Mancini to what’d certainly be a non-roster cope with a spring coaching invitation.
