The article that Baltimore Orioles fans have been dreading to see is finally here. Trey Mancini has officially been traded by the Orioles to the Houston Astros as part of a three-team deal (including the Tampa Bay Rays) just before the MLB trade deadline.
One of the biggest leaders in the Baltimore Orioles locker room for the past few seasons, he is now on his way to Houston, with the Orioles return being a pair of pitching prospects. Dan Connolly of The Athletic was the first to report the trade.
What will the Trey Mancini trade mean for the Baltimore Orioles, both positively and negatively?
Looking at the positive side for the Orioles, moving Mancini means there is now an open roster spot available for someone at Triple-A. Could we see Kyle Stowers finally getting called up for longer than a roster-filling spot on a Toronto trip? Could we finally see DL Hall? This is a move looking towards the future, as the Orioles’ return in this trade is multiple pitching prospects.
Here is what we know of the trade return, with the Tampa Bay Rays also involved.
Three-team trade! Full deal, according to sources.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022
Houston gets: 1B/OF Trey Manicini and RHP Jayden Murray
Baltimore gets: RHP Seth Johnson and Chayce McDermott
Tampa Bay gets: CF Jose Siri
Filling Trey Mancini’s spot, the Orioles will recall OF Yusniel Diaz to the major league roster. Diaz has been in AAA Norfolk.
Now looking at the negative side of this trade for the Orioles. Trey Mancini has been the longest-tenured Oriole since being called up in 2016 and has been along for the rebuild since it started following the 2016 Wild Card loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Mancini has been a leader in the clubhouse for the past few seasons, being the guy with the most experience with the Orioles, and has been a huge reason that the Orioles have been so surprisingly successful in 2022.
Will the Orioles start to slide because of losing their leader? I personally think we will start seeing more of a struggle than we already have, as the team has been struggling offensively out of the break.
Mancini played his last game as a member of the Orioles in Camden Yards on Thursday, July 28. His final at-bat at Camden Yards was an inside-the-park home run that bounced off of the right fielder’s face. What was more magical about this, is that it was Mo Gaba day at Camden Yards. What a way for Mancini to end his career as an Oriole at Camden Yards.
Editor’s Note: We will update this story as it develops.