Ex-Orioles Utility Man Opts Out of Marlins Contract

Trey Mancini has opted out of his minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and will return to free agency. Mancini, 32, signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and received an invitation to Spring Training in January. His contract included a standard opt-out clause which he exercised on Saturday according to Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Mancini has batted .257/.333/.371 with a home run and two RBI through 35 at-bats this spring. His decision suggests that the veteran first baseman was likely not going to make the Marlins Opening Day roster. 

Trey Mancini Returns to Free Agency

Mancini was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2013. He made his major league debut for the club three years later. In his second major league at-bat, Mancini became the fourth Orioles player to hit a home run for their first major league hit. He quickly became a fan favorite and was a staple in the Orioles lineup for his entire six-year career. However, he was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2020, missing the entire season while he underwent cancer treatments. Mancini announced he was cancer free later that year and made a triumphant return to the Orioles in 2021. He finished the 2021 season winning the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award batting .255/.326/.432 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI over 147 games.

He batted .268/.347/.404 for Baltimore in 2022 before he was traded to the Houston Astros at the deadline. Mancini hit a home run for his first hit as an Astro and hit his first career grand slam days later. The Astros won the AL West which marked the first time in his career that Mancini won a division title. One playoff highlight from Mancini came in Game 5 of the World Series, making a specatcular diving stop. He made a game saving play in Game 5 of the World Series and won his first career World Series with the Astros. Mancini struggled at the plate after arriving in Houston batting just .176/.258/.364 and became a free agent after the Astros declined his 2023 option.

Additional Notes

The Chicago Cubs signed Mancini to a two-year, $14 million deal prior to the start of the 2023 season. However, Mancini’s struggles at the plate continued hitting just .234/.299/.336 over 263 plate appearances leading Chicago to waive him last August. Since his release, the Cubs are still on the hook for his $7 million salary for 2024. Meaning any team that signs Mancini to a big league roster is only obligated to pay him the league minimum.