The Cincinnati Reds have signed veteran outfielder and first baseman Trey Mancini to a minor league contract, according to multiple reports Wednesday night. MLB.com's Mark Sheldon was the first to report on the move, while the Cincinnati Enquirer's Gordon Wittenmyer and Charlie Goldsmith confirmed it a few minutes later.
Mancini was designated for assignment and eventually released by the Chicago Cubs earlier in August.
In 79 games with the Cubs this season, Mancini hit .234 with four home runs, 28 RBI, a .635 OPS and a -1.4 WAR. Mancini was crowded out of the lineup by trade deadline acquisition Jeimer Candelario and veteran utility man Patrick Wisdom, who took on more innings at first.
Mancini was once a consistent, high-level slugger with the Baltimore Orioles. From 2017 to 2019, Mancini missed just 29 games, averaging 28 home runs, 78 RBI and a 2.3 WAR while batting .275 with an .814 OPS.
A battle with colon cancer cost Mancini the entire 2020 season, though, leaving his future at the MLB level in doubt.
Mancini managed to return to the diamond the following year, winning AL Comeback Player of the Year by hitting .255 with 21 home runs, 71 RBI and a .758 OPS in 147 games.
The Orioles sent Mancini to the Houston Astros at the 2022 trade deadline, and he finished that season with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, a .239 batting average and a .710 OPS in 143 games. Even though he went just 1-for-21 in the playoffs, Mancini still earned a World Series ring when the Astros went on to win the championship that fall.
Mancini signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Cubs in January.
Instead of sticking around in the Windy City, Mancini will be part of a different NL Central club as the playoff race heats up.
The Cubs and Reds are all knotted up in the standings, 3.5 games out of first place in the division. The two rivals are currently sitting in the second and third NL Wild Card spots at 66-60 and 67-61, respectively.
Mancini will need to get called up to Cincinnati's big league roster before Sept. 1 in order to be eligible to join their postseason roster, granted they end up clinching a berth.
Veteran Joey Votto and rookie Christian Encarnacion-Strand have been splitting time at first base and designated hitter. As for the corner outfield spots, those have been shared by Spencer Steer, Will Benson, Nick Martini and TJ Hopkins with Jake Fraley and Stuart Fairchild currently on the injured list.
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