Miami Marlins signing Trey Mancini a low-risk move to improve offense

The Miami Marlins are signing Trey Mancini to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training, a source confirmed to the Miami Herald on Wednesday, using a low-risk signing to address a pair of roster needs.

Mancini, who turns 32 on March 18, is entering his eighth MLB season after having previous stints with the Baltimore Orioles (2016-2022), Houston Astros (2022) and Chicago Cubs. He did not play during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

He’s a career .263 hitter with a .775 on-base-plus-slugging mark, 129 home runs, 156 doubles, 400 RBI and 407 runs scored through 831 games. However, his production has dipped during the past two years, hitting a combined .237 with a .687 OPS since the start of the 2022 season.

He hit just .244 with a .635 OPS, four home runs and 28 RBI in 79 games with the Cubs last season. Prior to the 2023 season, Mancini hit at least 18 home runs in each of the previous five seasons he played. His power potential, should he return to form, is tantalizing for a team that hit just 166 home runs last season — tied for the eighth fewest in MLB — and saw their leading home run hitter from 2023 in Jorge Soler leave for free agency.

Defensively, Mancini has split his playing time between the outfield (298 starts) and first base (277 games) while also starting 211 games as designated hitter.

His experience at first base is most notable considering the Marlins’ options beyond Josh Bell at the position are minimal. Luis Arraez is the only player on the 40-man roster outside of Bell with considerable experience at first base, and Arraez is going to once again be Miami’s full-time second baseman. According to FanGraphs, Mancini has five career outs above average at first base.