The Reds have signed first baseman/corner outfielder Trey Mancini to a minor league contract, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The veteran was released by the Cubs after being designated for assignment on deadline day.
Mancini’s tenure with Chicago lasted only a few months. Signed to a two-year, $14MM free agent pact last offseason, he played in 79 games. Mancini slumped to a career-worst .234/.299/.336 batting line through 263 trips to the plate. He homered only four times and struck out at a lofty 29.7% clip. He particularly struggled in the two months preceding the deadline, hitting .200/.247/.318 in 93 plate appearances from June 1 onwards.
Chicago added Jeimer Candelario once they played their way into buying, bumping Mancini from the roster. He spent a few weeks on the open market but will now join one of their top competitors in a tightly-packed playoff bubble. The Cubs currently occupy the second Wild Card slot in the National League but are just half a game clear of the Giants, Reds and D-Backs — all of whom are tied for the last spot. Both Chicago and Cincinnati are still within four games of the Brewers in the NL Central.
Mancini doesn’t step right back into the playoff chase, as he’ll begin on a non-roster deal. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s added to the MLB team in relatively short order, though, as the Reds could use a right-handed bat in a first base/corner outfield mix that skews toward the left side.
While Mancini’s stint in the Windy City was unquestionably a disappointment, he’d been an above-average hitter in his three prior seasons. The Notre Dame product connected on 35 home runs with a .291/.364/.535 slash in 2019. He’s never replicated quite those heights but has topped 20 longballs on three other occasions. Between 2021-22, Mancini combined for a decent .247/.323/.412 showing in a little over 1200 plate appearances.
While Mancini has struggled against pitchers of either handedness this year, he had a quality .263/.334/.450 mark against left-handed pitching in the two prior seasons. The Reds have Joey Votto at first base and lefty-swinging Will Benson — whom they’ve almost entirely shielded from unfavorable platoon matchups — in right field. Righty-swinging Kevin Newman and Stuart Fairchild both recently landed on the injured list, while Nick Senzel was optioned a few weeks ago. TJ Hopkins, Michael Siani and Nick Martini are currently on the MLB roster in a depth capacity.
If they call Mancini up, he’d add a much more accomplished bat to the bench. He’s also regarded as a strong clubhouse leader, which would surely be welcome in a generally young Reds’ locker room as they vie for an unexpected postseason berth. Since he joined the organization before September 1, Mancini would be eligible for the playoffs if the Reds find their way into October.
The Cubs are on the hook for Mancini’s respective $7MM salaries in each of the next two years. If the Reds select his contract, they’d only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K league minimum for whatever time he spends in the majors. That amount would come off the Cubs’ ledger.
A big bat for my Reds – this could work out.
They need to get him to Cincy and have him play first base every day, except when they play the Brewers.
Of course, I’m a Cubs fan.
Steer got him clearly beat lol
As fellow Cubs fan, I agree with you!
Reds need to play him at 1B for the rest of the season no matter what!!
Yep! He’s got that ‘Herman Munster’ grace at first base.
God knows they need some veterans on that team
They already have both Steer and Encarnacion-Strand as right-handed bats who play first base, and in Steer’s case LF too, plus right-handed catcher Tyler Stephenson who sees time at 1B as well.
They brought up Martini, AAAA ballplayer having a good year. The difference between Mancini & Martini on the field is negligible- but the veteran leadership Mancini can provide in the clubhouse could make a difference. I don’t see an issue until Fraley or India are back in the picture.
Can he play if they make the postseason?
If they add him to the 40 man by months end.
Yes and he doesn’t need to be on the 40 man by month’s end.
He had 7 and a half days to get called up basically. Maybe only even 6 days.
No idea where he would play, except maybe for Fraley in right if he can’t continue? Can he even play OF anymore?
This reminds me of the Wil Myers signing somehow.
I second this.
Orioles fan here. You do no want him playing anywhere in the OF unless it’s a last resort, no one left on the bench type of thing.
He forgot how to hit once we traded him to Houston last year.
He will likely get DH AB’s against lefties and maybe some time at 1B if he makes it to the big league roster at all
Has anyone read his hitting numbers in the above article? The guy can’t hit. All this dreaming about how he can play first or the OF, a big bat for the Reds if you consider a .234 average a big bat, and on and on. Paul DeJong seems to have found the right team even though it was just one game, but that doesn’t always happen. There’s a reason why players are dfa’d.
@avenger- People are clearly dreaming on the ability he demonstrated in the recent past; it’s not like it’s completely out of the realm of possibility. He’s shown he can hit well in hitters’ parks (go figure) and he’ll have that opportunity at GABP.
Yep, the guy was in serious fade mode way before anyone would admit it. He might have like 2 shots left in the tank, and that’s about it.
For half the season David Ross saw no reason to not put Mancini out there on defense. Heaven forbid Ross would give Mervis the same opportunities.
It takes Ross awhile to muster up the courage to use young players like Assad or Mervis or Amaya, ahead of Hosmer, Mancini or Barnhart. Or Assad over Smyly.
How many games have those decisions cost the Cubs this season. And still leaving Mervis in Iowa – while Mastrobuouni or Wisdom are flailing in Chicago – is a crime!!
I was like Wil Myers when Cubs signed him. Now it’s a cheap experiment.
I believe it is still as long as they are on the roster by end of August.
I wish him well. He can’t play defense. So I’m guessing he’ll dh a little bit. I’ve always liked him as a player and a person. As some one who knows a few people who survived cancer. I hope he finds a home. Whether it’s with Cincinnati or not. Dudes been through a lot.
he’s a decent 1B. nice snag for the Stros last year there. I agree having him in the OF should only be in cases of true emergencies but I wish him all the best as an Orioles fan. he’s a tremendous clubhouse guy and if he finds his self confidence again, he has some pop.
He is definitely NOT a decent 1B man. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
Can he pitch?
That made me laugh like hell.
No but former Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart has a zero ERA this year.
No disrespect, but he doesn’t seem to bring anything to the table that is better than what the Reds have. The Reds current players have much better upside.
Could be mainly insurance in case one of those better players gets hurt. In which case he just has to be an improvement over their AAA depth.
Yeah. Let’s hope so.
He’s a flier for bench bat who won a ring last year. It’s a great move even if it amounts to nothing.
Hopkins, Siani, Martini, Mancini all seem interchangeable in overall value, risk, looking for whatever works out. What’s more surprising Senzel being DFA’d or Senzel showing back up? It is a pretty crazy roster management scheme the Reds roll with.
Hope they call him up quick. I’m not a reds fan.
Biggest news of the day and its not on this site yet. Ohtani has a torn UCL. He won’t pitch again this year.
2nd biggest news. Trout going back on the IL for his wrist. Apparently the pain is too great in game situations.
twitter.com/MikeDiGiovanna
theathletic.com/4800823/2023/08/23/shohei-ohtani-a…
Bro no one listens to you try another account!
This was only done to get his insider information for the upcoming 4 game series. It’s exactly like something that slimeball Bill Belichick would do.
Between Ohtani’s injury, Trout back on IL, and the Reds sweep of the series, I think the final nail has been driven in Angels coffin for this season.
Angels fans are in for one really rough end to the season.
Now the Cubs just need to sign Wil Myers to a minor league deal. Then each team would be paying a major league salary for their rival’s right-handed 1B/COF minor-league depth option.
If he hits at Wrigley like he did at GABP, they’d be better off signing Mike Myers for comic relief.
With Votto going on the DL, this could be a good move.