Newest Diamondback Shares Long Held Desire to Join Team

The newest Arizona Diamondback Trey Mancini spoke on his new signing during an interview with Sirius XM. The veteran right-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training which you can read more about HERE.

Mancini has faced adversity regularily over the past few seasons. Previously a feared slugger with the Baltimore Orioles, he mashed four straight years with more than 20 home runs.

2020 was a scary year for the first baseman. While the rest of baseball was facing a 60 game season Mancini was battling something far more personally threatening. Early in the year he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer, a condition that not only wiped him out for the entire shortened season, but more importantly left him fighting for his life.

Thankfully after going through months of strenuous chemotherapy, and binge watching "The Wire" Mancini was able to recover and make it back on the field by 2021. The return could be categorized as nothing less than heroic, and after another impressive year with a 106 OPS+ things looked better for the corner infielder.

That was until just over a season later he was dealt by Baltimore to the Houston Astros. 30 years old at the time, Mancini had spent his entire career with the Orioles, and departing from Baltimore seemed to have an impact on his game.

A 76 OPS+ second half in Houston was bad, but things got worse on the field the next season when he signed with the Cubs. In 79 games he seemed to be unable to find his footing, facing similar struggles as his second half the year prior, and finishing with a nearly identical 75 OPS+.

He went on to sit out the 2024 season, but stayed healthy and will now make a push back to the big leagues with Arizona. "I just wanted to get back in the game," said Mancini. "I was so flattered and honored that a team was interested in me and was willing to give me a shot."

While the Diamondbacks have a full position player squad, Mancini gives them veteran depth in the minor leagues, and should injuries occur, he would make for quite an intriguing bounce back candidate that you can't help but root for.

"It was kind of the Diamondbacks for a while now. I am so thankful for the opportunity, and I couldn't be more ready to go."