Mancini reflects on time with Orioles

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- As Orioles players gathered in right field for pregame warmups at Wrigley Field late Friday morning, one man donning blue workout gear stood among the group. He frequently stopped chatting with one person to hug and shake hands with another. And it was still a bit weird to see this guy wearing colors other than orange and black.

Trey Mancini, who played for Baltimore from 2016-22, is facing off with his former team this weekend in Chicago as a member of the Cubs. The 31-year-old first baseman/outfielder was suiting up for the O’s as recently as last July -- before he was sent to Houston in a Trade Deadline deal -- so he still has plenty of friends on the team.

This three-game series provided an opportunity for Mancini, a fan favorite during his time in Baltimore, to catch up with some former teammates. It’s not the first time he’s played against the Orioles, though, as his Astros had two series against the O’s late last season, from Aug. 26-28 in Houston and again from Sept. 22-25 in Baltimore.

“It was definitely a little weird last year, especially since I was on the team in 2022,” Mancini said before a large contingent of media from Baltimore and Chicago in front of his locker in the Cubs’ clubhouse on Friday morning. “But now, a year removed, it truly is just like any other series. It’s just a team that I happen to have a lot of friends on, basically. So that’s how it feels.”

Mancini went on to win a World Series title with the Astros last year. Meanwhile, the Orioles fell just short in their pursuit of a postseason berth, finishing three games back of the final American League Wild Card spot.

As Baltimore continued to mostly develop homegrown talent, Mancini knew a reunion with the O’s was unlikely when he hit free agency this past offseason. His focus was primarily on his wedding -- he and his wife, Sara, tied the knot at a Dec. 10 ceremony well attended by Orioles players -- while his agent took care of the baseball side of Mancini’s life.

Mancini signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Cubs on Jan. 20. Through 56 games of his first season in Chicago, he’s batting .246/.317/.363 with nine doubles, four homers and 21 RBIs. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances against Baltimore on Friday, doubling twice, walking twice and scoring two runs.

Mancini still keeps tabs on the O’s. After all, he got to experience the majority of the organization’s rebuild. He had just completed his second full big league season in late 2018, when general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde were hired to lead Baltimore back to contention. Then, Mancini was one of the few bright spots during the team’s 108-loss '19 campaign, when he slugged a career-high 35 homers and posted an .899 OPS.

Now, the Orioles have turned a corner. Entering Saturday, they had a 43-26 record that stood as the third best in MLB in 2023.

“They’re playing great, which is no surprise to me,” Mancini said. “I saw the turnaround last year. I saw it happening. Those guys have kept it going. They’ve done an incredible job.”

Baltimore had a .341 winning percentage from 2019-21, its first three years under Hyde. But Mancini always believed the former Cubs bench coach was the right man to help get the Orioles’ franchise back on track.

“I knew it from Day 1 that he was. He came in there and established a culture,” Mancini said. “The way he carried himself and handled it was incredible. He got rewarded last year, and I think the turnaround is a huge testament to him and the job he’s done there, what he expects of his guys. He was such a pleasure to play for and somebody I consider a friend.”

Hyde was among those who chatted for a few moments with Mancini on the field prior to Friday’s game. Their bond reached a new level early in 2020, when Mancini shared his diagnosis of Stage 3 colon cancer with Hyde, who said he’ll “never forget that day.”

“Such a blow in every way and makes you rethink everything,” Hyde said. “Going through that, then you appreciate the guy even more for what he came back from and how tough he is and how strong he is and how he handled everything. I just have so much admiration for him.”

Everything that happened in Mancini’s life during his tenure with the Orioles -- both on the field and off -- is why he’ll forever be appreciative of a Baltimore community that has always reciprocated those feelings toward him.

“It's always going to hold such a special place in my heart,” Mancini said. “It's a special connection that will never go away, for sure.”