Cancer survivor and a big bat: 5 things to know about newest Astro Trey Mancini

The Astros got the extra bat for which they’d been searching they they grabbed Trey Mancini in a three-team trade Monday afternoon. The Astros got Mancini from the Orioles and 25-year-old Class AA starting pitcher Jayden Murray from the Rays. In exchange, they sent speedy center fielder Jose Siri to the Rays and Class A pitcher Chayce McDermott to Baltimore. The Orioles also got Rays pitching prospect Seth Johnson in the deal.

The righthanded Mancini, who can play first base or a corner outfield spot, was hitting .268 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs for the Orioles. For his career, he’s had pretty even splits against righties and lefties. Against righthanded pitchers, he’s hitting .271 with a .334 on-base percentage and .795 OPS. Against lefties, he’s hitting .270 with a .336 on-base percentage and an .802 OPS.

Mancini is playing on a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a $10 million option for next season which either side can decline.

Here are five quick things to know about the newest Astro …

Fits what the Astros need

Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles catches a Frenchy Cordero #16 of the Boston Red Sox hit ball in the second inning during a baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 29, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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The Astros could use offensive production from first base or outfield. Mancini has proven he can play first base and either outfield spot. This season, he’s played 29 games at first base, 10 in right field and three in left field, while acting as the DH 51 times. For his career, he’s started 41% of his games at a corner outfield spot, 34% of his games at first base and the remaining 25% at DH. With the Astros, he likely will step right in at left field at least until Michael Brantley returns from the injured list. He also could fill in at first base for Yuli Gurriel, whose average is down nearly 80 points from last season, or play right field while Kyle Tucker moves over to center, where the Astros have struggled to get any offensive production at all.

Huge production just three years ago

Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with third base coach Jose David Flores #11 after hitting a home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 2, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Mancini finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017, then in 2019 he had a career year, hitting .291 with 35 home runs and 97 RBIs.

Cancer survivor

Baltimore Orioles right fielder Trey Mancini acknowledges the crowd as he comes to bat for the first time since his cancer diagnosis during the Boston Red Sox game versus the Baltimore Orioles on April 8, 2021 at Orioles Park at Camden Yards, in Baltimore, MD.

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Before the 2020 season – and coming off the most productive year of his career – Mancini was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. He had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and underwent 12 chemotherapy treatments before being declared cancer-free that September. He missed the entire 2020 season, but returned in 2021, being named the American League Comeback Player of the Year after hitting .255 with 21 home runs.

Inspirational home run derby

Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles yells to the crowd after a second place finish in the 2021 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Coors Field on July 12, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.

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Sixteen months to the day after being diagnosed with colon cancer, Mancini competed in the 2021 home run derby and nearly won the whole thing. He won the head-to-head competition in the first two rounds before falling to the Mets’ Pete Alonso in the finals. “I think it can set an example that you can go back to your normal life, even if you have this thing hanging over you sometimes,” Mancini said. “That’s the message that I really wanted to get across.”

Engaged to TV host Sara Perlman

Mancini proposed to Sara Perlman, a host for NBC Sports, in November. The two met when Perlman was the sideline reporter for Baltimore Orioles broadcasts on MASN, but Mancini waited to ask her out until she had moved on to her current job at NBC Sports.

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