Baltimore Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini had been the subject of trade talks leading up to Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
As Mancini was seen hugging his Orioles teammates ahead of their game against the Texas Rangers on Monday, it became clear that he had been dealt.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Mancini has been traded to the Houston Astros in a three-team deal that also includes the Tampa Bay Rays.
Outfielder Jose Siri is heading to Tampa Bay in the deal. Meanwhile, the Orioles acquire right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson from Tampa Bay as well as Chayce McDermott from Houston. In addition to bringing in Mancini, the Astros add right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray to the mix. Did you get that all?
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Houston Astros get much-needed bat in Trey Mancini
Despite boasting a 67-36 record and being 12 games up in the American League West, Houston needed to add an outfielder to the mix. Siri was hitting a mere .178 with a .542 OPS before being dealt to Tampa Bay in this trade. Mancini is an obvious upgrade.
- Trey Mancini stats (2022): .268 average, 10 HR, 41 RBI, .751 OPS
Mancini, 30, hit 20 homers and drove in 71 runs in 2021 after missing the entire 2020 campaign while battling cancer. He’s widely respected around the MLB world and will add a veteran presence to the Astros roster for the stretch run.
Baltimore Orioles add Tampa Bay Rays’ sixth-ranked prospect
A first-round pick of the Rays back in 2019, Johnson is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. The right-handed pitcher had posted a 1-1 record with a 3.00 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in high Single-A ball before going down to injury. He likely won’t return to the bump until the 2024 season.
Despite this, picking up the sixth-ranked prospect for a rental in Mancini was a steal for Baltimore.
If that weren’t enough, Baltimore added Houston’s 12th-ranked prospect in that of pitcher Chayce McDermott in this three-team deal. He’s currently tossing the rock in Single-A Asheville and has posted a 6-1 record while striking out 114 batters in 72 innings.