Trey

Mancini

Mancini will head out to the open market and attempt to latch on elsewhere after putting up some astronomical numbers this season at Triple-A Reno in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, hitting .308/.373/.522 with 16 homers in 335 plate appearances over 75 games. The 33-year-old hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since the 2023 campaign, but there might be a team out there willing to roll the dice.

It wasn’t long ago that McGough was a favorite for saves in Arizona, but not even two years later, he pitched to an 11.57 ERA in spring training and will not make the team. Mancini is the tougher cut here since the veteran slashed .440/.481/.640 in 27 spring plate appearances with one home run. As a non-roster invitee, other teams will have a chance to offer him a spot on their roster or Mancini will decide whether to take a minor league assignment with the Diamondbacks organization.

Mancini blistered the two-run shot to give Arizona the win and continue his impressive run this spring. The 32-year-old cancer survivor has hit .429/.478/.667 with the D-Backs, and it’s the first roundtripper for the veteran first baseman. Mancini has at the very least given the Diamondbacks a tough decision, and could very well be a bench option for Arizona to open the 2025 campaign.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports Mancini is attempting to make a comeback with Arizona after being out of baseball last year. He attempted to make the Marlins in 2024, but opted out of his deal after not making the team after spring training. The 32-year-old has been a quality source of power in the past, but the long-time Orioles infielder will need an exceptional spring training to be a part of the Diamondbacks come Opening Day.

The 32-year-old Mancini failed to make the Marlins this spring and hasn’t gotten much interest since, even though the team that signed him wouldn’t have to pay him more than the minimum salary. The Cubs, still paying him $7 million this season, released him last year after he hit .234/.299/.336 in 79 games.

There wasn’t much of a path to a roster spot for Mancini down in Miami after signing a minor league contract with the club back in late January. The 32-year-old veteran slugger will test the free agent waters instead of sticking around at Triple-A Jacksonville.

Mancini came into the day 1-for-16. The Tim Anderson and Nick Gordon acquisitions have left Mancini without a clear path to a roster spot in Miami. Unless someone gets hurt, the Rays would likely have to bail on the out-of-options Vidal Bruján in order to carry Mancini or maybe Jonah Bride.

The Cubs are on the hook for Mancini’s salary, so it’s pretty tough that he couldn’t even get a guaranteed major league deal at the minimum. Signing with the Marlins, though, does provide him with a better opportunity for playing time than he might get elsewhere. Mancini struggled terribly last year, hitting .234/.299/.336 in 263 PA before being let go by the Cubs, but he was pretty solid the previous two years. The soon-to-be 32-year-old is a lifetime .263/.328/.448 hitter.

Mancini signed a minor league contract last week with the Reds and wound up homering twice during a brief five-game stint with Triple-A Louisville. It’s possible he’s been granted his release to pursue an opportunity somewhere else before Thursday night’s playoff roster deadline.

Not good. Votto didn’t end up making his season debut until mid-June due to a lengthy recovery from last year’s major left shoulder surgery, so it’s a cause for concern that he’s experiencing discomfort again. It’s unclear how much time the 39-year-old veteran on-base machine will wind up missing, but this certainly helps explain Cincinnati’s decision to ink Trey Mancini to a minor league contract earlier this week.