Trey Mancini is looking for a comeback. The 32-year-old player signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks just a month ago with an invitation to Spring Training. However it is not guaranteed that he will secure a roster spot as there is tough competition out there. Players like Josh Naylor, Corbin Carroll, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr will all be fighting for that particular spot.  

But Mancini is a veteran player who has played over seven seasons in the MLB. The player has also been traded a lot. He returned to the Baltimore Orioles after getting diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2021 but next year the first baseman got traded to Houston Astros the following year. Mancini could not fit there and was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2023. Last year the Miami Marlins took him on but later released him towards the end of Spring Training. So what made the 32-year-old sign with the Diamondbacks?

The thought of retirement has obviously come to mind with all the moving and shifting teams throughout the years. However there was one particular person that changed Trey Mancini’s mind about taking retirement and that was none other than his friend Brady Anderson. In an interview with Foul Territory, Mancini revealed, “About the end of July I got a text from Brady Anderson actually. He worked with me a lot in Baltimore back in 2015.”

“He changed my swing and that really helped my career take off. And he basically said that he thought that I had something left in the tank and thought that I should give it one more chance.” After the text, Mancini said that he went to California and hit with Anderson, which felt like old times again.

Here’s hoping that Trey Mancini can make a comeback that he is longing for! After making his Major League debut in 2016, Mancini was a dependable batsman for the Baltimore Orioles. So what actually went wrong with Mancini’s career trajectory?

Breaking down Trey Mancini’s MLB career till now   

By the end of the 2019 season, Trey Mancini had established himself as a reliable power hitter, with a solid .276 batting average, an .819 OPS, and consistent production of 30 home runs and 84 RBI per 162 games. His career was on an upward trajectory, but in 2020, Mancini’s world was turned upside down. Diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, he underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor and began chemotherapy, sidelining him for the entire 2020 season.  

Mancini made a triumphant return in 2021, hitting 21 home runs and driving in 71 RBI. His remarkable comeback earned him the AL Comeback Player of the Year award. However, his time with the Baltimore Orioles came to an end when he was traded to the Houston Astros midway through 2022.  That same offseason, he signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. However, his time in Chicago was short-lived, as the Cubs designated him for assignment.  

After a brief stint in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system, Mancini attempted to make the Miami Marlins’ Opening Day roster in 2023 but ultimately opted out of his contract when he didn’t make the team. At 32 years old, he has been a reliable player for most of his career, with a .263 batting average, 801 hits, and 129 home runs to his name. Can Trey Mancini recreate the same numbers with the Arizona Diamondbacks?