Roster Move: Cubs DFA Trey Mancini to make room for Candelario |
When the Cubs elected to pull
Cody Bellinger off the trade market, you got a sense that this team would be buyers for the first time in three years. You saw that on Monday when the team made two moves, including adding switch-hitting Jeimer Caldelario.
Expected to add more pieces on Tuesday; things have been quiet on the Cubs front apart from a minor league deal with the Rays earlier. However, in a shocking turn of events, the Cubs made more roster moves as they chose to DFA veteran 1B Trey Mancini. We have yet to determine the plans for the Cubs and the corresponding roster move, but the bottom line is that Mancini is gone just four months into his two-year 14 million-dollar deal. This isn't the first time the Cubs have released a 1B this season, as they parted ways with Eric Hosmer less than 40 games into the season. That means both Cub's offseason acquisitions to play 1B were released within a year, putting the Cubs in the same situation they were in when the season started. At least Candelario and Bellinger can hold the fort down for the next two months, but not having a reliable 1B beyond this season is something the Cubs will have to address. Could that guy be Matt Mervis if they give him a legitimate shot? Maybe, but that won't happen until next season. Seeing Mancini released is a surprise, as Patrick Wisdom was another option, but it may not be a huge surprise when you look at his numbers. Mancini was once a consistent hitter with the Baltimore Orioles and could hit .270 with 20-25 homers per season. Then came the past two seasons, where Mancini seemed to fall into a slump he could never recover from. The Orioles traded him to the Astros last season, where he won a World Series ring but did it without contributing much to the lineup. Hoping to rejuvenate his career in Chicago, Mancini got off to a great start before fizzling out the past two months. Mancini is hitting just .234/.299/.336/74 wRC+ on the year, and all the underlying metrics suggest he’s earned it (or been lucky). It’s just been a disaster of a season at the plate and first base. At one point, he was hitting close to .280, but with four homers and less than 30 RBIs, his power has completely evaporated, which has been a huge reason why his playing time has diminished. He was known for crushing lefties and was brought in to do just that while offering some pop. Neither happened this season, as he will look for a fresh start next season. While the offense was one thing, his defense was even worse, as Mancini single-handedly cost the Cubs a few games this season with his decisions and the number of misplays he had. According to Stat Cast and MLB defensive metrics, Mancini has been the worst fielding 1B in the game this season, and it hasn't even been close. Throw that in with his horrible offensive season, and this became a lost season for a player that was a liability at best. Mancini is a great guy and is one of the more beloved players in the clubhouse so this hurts on many levels. However, the MLB is a performance-driven league, and the bottom line is that Mancini needed to perform better to remain on this team. The Cubs will now have 10 days to trade or release him, but expect this to be a release, as no one will trade for him at this point. While this does improve the team in the short run by allowing Candelario to potentially take over at 1B full-time, it also hurts the team beyond this season as they need a clear direction for 1B. Extending Bellinger could help with that, but he is a Scott Boras client, so expect him to test the market and have a ton of suitors. Unless the Cubs go out and sign a free agent 1B next season or trade for a guy like Pete Alonso, it does appear that Mervis could have this job waiting for him next season. Hopefully, his adjustments since his demotion will pay off, but the Cubs also need to give him the proper opportunity to make the adjustments at the plate. Apart from the Justin Verlander deal, this may be the most shocking news of the deadline thus far.
