Cincinnati Reds Release Trey Mancini a Week After Taking Flier on Veteran Slugger

Trey Mancini signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds after fizzling out with the Chicago Cubs, and now he's a free agent again.

The Cincinnati Reds released veteran outfielder and first baseman Trey Mancini on Wednesday, according to the official MiLB transaction log.

Mancini had signed a minor league contract with the Reds on Aug. 23. In five games with Triple-A Louisville, Mancini hit .316 with two home runs, three RBI and a 1.053 OPS.

Just a week after arriving, however, the slugger was let go before earning a call-up back to the big leagues. Mancini was previously designated for assignment and eventually released by the Chicago Cubs earlier in August.

In 79 games with the Cubs this season, Mancini hit .234 with four home runs, 28 RBI, a .635 OPS and a -1.4 WAR. Mancini was crowded out of the lineup by trade deadline acquisition Jeimer Candelario and veteran utility man Patrick Wisdom, who took on more innings at first.

Mancini was once a consistent, high-level slugger with the Baltimore Orioles. From 2017 to 2019, Mancini missed just 29 games, averaging 28 home runs, 78 RBI and a 2.3 WAR while batting .275 with an .814 OPS.

A battle with colon cancer cost Mancini the entire 2020 season, though, leaving his future at the MLB level in doubt.

Mancini managed to return to the diamond the following year, winning AL Comeback Player of the Year by hitting .255 with 21 home runs, 71 RBI and a .758 OPS in 147 games.

The Orioles sent Mancini to the Houston Astros at the 2022 trade deadline, and he finished that season with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, a .239 batting average and a .710 OPS in 143 games. Even though he went just 1-for-21 in the playoffs, Mancini still earned a World Series ring when the Astros went on to win the championship last fall.

Mancini signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Cubs in January.

Unable to catch on with either the Cubs or Reds, Mancini now has one day to find a new team if he wants to be eligible to make a postseason roster.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.