The Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with the first baseman/outfielder Trey ManciniKen Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Most likely, the Frontline prospect will be in big league camp as an undrafted free agent next month.
A focal point of the Orioles’ offense from 2017-2021, Mancini was once a consistent 20-homer threat who topped 35 homers in the juicy 2019 season. His career — and life — was thrown into turmoil when he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer before the 2020 season. Mancini announced nine months later that he had completed the chemotherapy regimen and was cancer free. He returned to the diamond in 2021 and hit .255/.326/.432 with 21 home runs in the 2021 season.
Mancini’s 2022 season was split between Baltimore and Houston, who acquired him at the trade deadline. His average numbers dropped to .239/.319/.391, but his record was still enough to earn him a two-year contract in free agency. That agreement with the Cubs did not work out. Mancini was cut after hitting .234/.299/.336 in 79 games in 2023, and has not played in the majors since.
Out of baseball entirely in 2024, Mancini returned to the game with a minor league deal with Arizona last year. He slashed .308/.373/.522 (110 wRC+) in 335 plate appearances with the D-backs’ Triple-A organization in Reno before opting out of contract in June. The big league offer never materialized, and Mancini did not return to the field in 2025.
As Rosenthal explores in a full column, the Angels’ deal combines Mancini with former Orioles slugger and VP of baseball Brady Anderson, who accepted his first major league coaching gig this offseason when he agreed to become the hitting coach in Anaheim. As part of a deep dive into Anderson’s history and the next chapter, Rosenthal spoke with Mancini, who credits Anderson with continuing his career. Mancini tells Rosenthal he was “at peace” after being cut from a minor league deal with the Reds during spring training last year. Anderson, however, invited Mancini to hit him up and get him back on track before that minor league matchup with the Diamondbacks.
Mancini will turn 34 in March and hasn’t appeared in the big leagues in nearly 30 months. He’ll obviously be a long shot from breaking camp on the Angels’ roster or being called up to the roster at any point this coming season. Last year’s run in Reno shows he still has some life in his bat, however, and the Angels’ lineup is not lacking in anything.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel became the first infielder to have a below-average defensive rating since being rushed to the majors just two months after being selected as a first baseman in 2023. Multiple injuries Mike Trout and bind hope Jorge Soler will split the time between the designated hitter and the outside corners. Bench options for the new manager Kurt Suzuki include insiders outside options Oswald Peraza again Vaughn Grissomaddition of discontinuance Wade Mecklerand foreign players Kyren Paris, Matthew Lugo again Bryce Teodosio. Paris and Lugo both played a role in more than a third of their major league games last year. Teodosio is a 26-year-old free agent who hit .203/.248/.304 in 50 games as a rookie last year.
