First baseman Trey Mancini passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment by the Angels, per the MLB.com transaction log. He was assigned outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. Mancini has the service time needed to reject that outright assignment if he chooses.
The 34-year-old Mancini returned to MLB earlier this month after a nearly three year absence. He went 4-for-13 with the Halos, hitting a trio of singles and as triple. He’s hit well in Triple-A over the past two seasons (.295/.375/.500 between the D-backs and Angels), but it’s been quite some time since the former Orioles slugger has had a productive run in the big leagues.
This year’s return, however brief, marked another impressive comeback for a player whose career has had its share of setbacks. Mancini was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer during spring training in 2020. His triumphant return a year later after announcing that he was in remission was a feel-good story not only for the Orioles’ fan base but for fans of any club.
Mancini rebounded with 21 homers and a .255/.326/.432 in 2021 and enjoyed a productive first half in 2022 before being traded to the Astros. The move to Houston never really clicked, and Mancini’s bat didn’t bounce back after signing a free-agent deal with the Cubs in the 2022-23 offseason. He batted .234/.299/.336 in 79 games with the ’23 Cubs and was released that summer.
Since Mancini went unclaimed on waivers, it stands to reason that he might be limited to a minor league contract even if he once again opts to explore free agency.
