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 dwelling. Nonetheless, the 32-year-old tells Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner that after a 12 months away from the sport, he’s now eyeing a comeback bid in 2025.
Followers of Mancini will wish to try the piece in full. It’s rife with considerate quotes from Mancini and his spouse on the slugger’s journey by 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 stated for the primary a number of months of the season, he was at peace together with his resolution and thought he was content material with the profession he’d put collectively.
“However I feel, on the identical time, I don’t precisely love how issues resulted in my profession, and I actually do assume if I’m in the proper state of affairs I can nonetheless be an influence bat,” Mancini advised Kostka. “And I do know saying meaning nothing an I’d must go on the market and show it, however I’m absolutely able to go try this. I simply sort of acquired that starvation again, out of nowhere, truthfully.”
Previous to that most cancers prognosis, Mancini was a gradual presence in the midst of a then-rebuilding Baltimore membership’s lineup. He belted 24 homers in each 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 league-average even in that heightened run-scoring surroundings, by measure of wRC+. He drilled 35 dwelling runs that season, walked in a career-best 9.3% of his plate appearances and struck out at a career-low 21.1% price. 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 altered each his profession and broader life trajectory. He returned to a hero’s welcome in 2021 after asserting he was most cancers free, went on to take part 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, shifting to Houston on the deadline and happening to win a World Collection ring.
Mancini’s time with the Astros, nonetheless, wasn’t up 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, $14MM 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 dwelling 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 outdated (33 subsequent March). Given his age and prior observe file, a rebound marketing campaign definitely isn’t out of the query, even when it’s one thing of a protracted 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 to their nook outfield/first base/bench combine, there’s nearly no danger in signing Mancini to what’d absolutely be a non-roster cope with a spring coaching invitation.
