The Milwaukee Brewers’ 40-man roster currently stands at 39. We are very early into the free agency process, and the team should be adding a few players and making a few trades. The new man in charge, Matt Arnold, will be looking to make an impression in his new role after David Stearns stepped down to an advisory role. Would adding a player like Trey Mancini truly move the needle?
The Brewers added four players to the active roster this week. Pitchers Abner Uribe and Cam Robinson, along with infielders Brice Turang and Jon Singleton. Turang should be able to play every position in the infield except first base. That will be covered by Jon Singleton. Singleton is a Rowdy Tellez and Daniel Vogelbach-type player. The 31-year-old lefty has had his struggles in the majors, but was also a major contributor to the Triple-A team Nashville Sounds and part of their largely successful season in 2022. He hit 24 home runs, had 87 RBIs and had an OPS of .809
The reason first base and Trey Mancini comes up is the recent rumor connection of the Milwaukee Brewers and Mancini. The Crew could be a possible landing spot for newly World Series-winning utility player.
Free Agent Predictions Part #8 pic.twitter.com/VRcnI2DoB8
— MLB Nerds (@MLBNerds) November 16, 2022
But does adding Trey Mancini make sense for the current roster and needs? Let’s do a quick breakdown.
Trey Mancini As a Brewer Makes Sense
Any roster upgrades at this point should be considered a good thing for the Brewers. The team has close to 20 players that will be going through arbitration this year. And the team has said they want to keep the core of their team together.
It will anger a lot of fans if they don’t do a lot, but it’s very possible. The team might add a starting pitcher, a few relief pitchers on minor-league deals and a utility player and call it a day. Mancini would fit into that utility player role.
The 30-year old righty has the nickname “Boomer” for a reason. In 2019, he hit 35 home runs and ended with a .291 average and .899 OPS. Trey then became one of the best comeback stories in MLB history. He revealed in 2020 he had stage 3 colon cancer. He began treatment, was able to announce in November of 2020 he was cancer free and played in the 2021 season. He’s one of those players who is easy to root for and would be great for the team and clubhouse.
Mancini would mostly be used as a DH, but his versatility is a good draw as well. He’s been DH for 195 games. He also has 264 games at first base, 212 in left field and 100 games in right. That means he can fill in at first and the outfield if needed. That’s a solid all-around player to add to the roster that needs to make the next step. Especially if the plan is to not go after anyone big.
What would that say about Singleton or Keston Hiura? I would assume one or both would be on the move so they could add another third basemen or a pitcher somewhere on the roster. Mancini is definitely a Brewers-type of singing. The Astros declined his option for next season, and could make between $7-10MM a year depending on the contract.
Trey Mancini As a Brewer Doesn’t Make Sense
Here’s the big issue with signing Trey Mancini. He is basically Andrew McCutchen 2.0. This is not a slam against Cutch. I loved him being on the Brewers and it just wasn’t his best year. The thing is, Mancini and McCutchen had basically the same stats in 2022.
Trey Mancini ended the season with a .239 batting average, .710 OPS, 18 home runs, 63 RBIs and 135 strike outs. Andrew McCutchen ended the season with a .237 batting average, .700 OPS, 17 home runs, 69 RBIs and 124 strike outs. So would Mancini really be an upgrade? If not, why not just bring back McCutchen on a cheaper deal.
You could consider two additional factors for adding Mancini. 1.) He is six years younger than McCutchen. He has time to have a bounce-back season or two like Andrew did with the Philadelphia Phillies. 2.) Trey played on two different teams last season.
He was a fan favorite and staple for the Baltimore Orioles before being traded to Houston. The Florida native was hitting .268 and had a .751 OPS before then. He did help the Astros get and win the World Series, but I am sure they expected a little more. That’s not his fault, and he got to end the season with a ring. Not a bad gig at all.
Mancini is a player that would be great to have. But with other needs on this team currently, he should not be the only “big” player the Milwaukee Brewers should try for this free agency. He would be a great addition, but fans would not be happy if it was the only one.
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