The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran slugger Trey Mancini, formerly of the Baltimore Orioles, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal includes an invitation to spring training, giving Mancini a chance to return to Major League Baseball after missing the entire 2024 season.
Mancini has played seven seasons in the MLB, primarily as a first baseman and corner outfielder. He has compiled a .263 batting average, 129 home runs, and 400 RBIs in 831 games, with an OPS of .775 in his career.
His best season came in 2019 with the Orioles when he slashed .291/.364/.535, hitting 35 home runs and driving in 97 RBIs. That year, he ranked sixth in the American League in extra-base hits (75) and total bases (322).
In early 2020, doctors diagnosed Trey Mancini with Stage 3 colon cancer, which forced him to miss the entire season. He made a remarkable return in 2021, hitting 21 home runs and earning the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Mancini remained with the Orioles until mid-2022 when Baltimore traded him to the Houston Astros. While he struggled after the trade, his OPS+ dropping from 116 to 76, he still contributed to the Astros’ World Series victory.
In 2023, Mancini signed with the Chicago Cubs, but his performance declined. He played 79 games, hitting .234/.299/.336 with four home runs and 28 RBIs before being released.
The Miami Marlins signed him to a minor league deal ahead of the 2024 season, but they cut him before the season began, so he did not play in any professional games that year. Instead, he stayed in shape while working out in Nashville.
Mancini will now have to compete for a spot on the Diamondbacks’ roster. Arizona already has Josh Naylor, who was an All-Star in 2024, locked in at first base after acquiring him in an offseason trade.
The Diamondbacks also have a crowded outfield featuring Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jake McCarthy, Pavin Smith, Randal Grichuk, Alek Thomas, and non-roster invitees Garrett Hampson and Cristian Pache.
Mancini will report to Salt River Fields for spring training, where he’ll attempt to earn a roster spot.
