Cubs might still purse veteran hitter Trey Mancini |
Trey Mancini is now one of the top free agents on the market and one who is likely to land, at worst, a two-year deal. The Cubs were mentioned several times to be in on Mancini, but for whatever reason, made it a priority to bring in Hosmer. However, even after the addition of Hosmer and the potential of having Matt Mervis be the full-time DH, the Cubs could still add Mancini and platoon him with Hosmer at 1B.
"If Hoyer doesn’t spend the rest of his remaining budget on veterans for the bullpen, he can still look to add another more powerful bat," Athletic's Sahadev Sharma reported. "He could still choose to pursue the right-handed Trey Mancini, who could get time at first with Hosmer as a platoon situation and also DH. Hoyer could look to upgrade third base and have Wisdom get more time at first as well. Trades to upgrade either corner infield spot are possible, especially if it comes with little financial commitment for 2023." Just when you thought the Cubs offseason was nearly complete, they throw this curveball at you. The more you think about it, the more it makes sense, and the more fans love the idea. All offseason long, the Cubs have made it a point to target left-handed bats and to add more power. They have also made a point to add more depth to this team where they could use several guys in a lefty/righty platoon role based on strengths and matchups. Mancini is good enough to be an everyday player, but the longer he waits to sign, the less likely that happens for him. That is why signing with the Cubs gives him the best opportunity to be an everyday player, as he gives the Cubs various options. Bringing in Mancini will have controversy with it as that could mean that Mervis is the odd man out, at least to start the season. However, that may not be a bad thing either. Having the DH in the National League has changed how teams approach the game, as NL teams now need to employ a full-time DH. You saw that last season when the Cubs acquired Franmil Reyes off of waivers, but his time with the Cubs didn't go well, and he was then released in November. Hosmer could become that guy with a need at DH if the Cubs want Mancini to play first. Hosmer was a four-time gold glove during his days in Kansas City, but those days are long gone. He is now middle of the road at best in his fielding and isn't getting any younger. Mancini is also not the best in terms of his defense, but he is four years young and should be more durable. Regardless, both are better than Mervis defensively, which has been the most significant area of concern surrounding him. You also have to look at the current 1B situation with Mervis and Hosmer. Both are left-handed hitters, so you don't have the matchup game to play. Surprisingly, Hosmer does hit lefties better than righties, but Mervis had a rough go of things, hitting just .160 off them. Mancini not only held his own against righties, but crushed left-handed pitching last season, so you have to think the Cubs are considering that direction right now. I know fans want Mervis to come into camp, win the 1B job outright, and then go on to have a great rookie season. While it is an excellent thought process to have, that is unrealistic, which is why the Cubs are being cautious with him. They want to avoid a similar scenario to what happened to the last group of core players, where most of them were rushed to the bigs before failing to improve beyond their early years. Adding a guy like Mancini would allow the Cubs to keep Mervis in the minors for a bit more time to ensure he is ready while also gaining an extra year of control in the process. You also have to look at this deal in terms of helping the Cubs out in the future. This team is close to contending, but still may be a year away. Because of that, some of the key pieces they expect to play considerable roles in the future may be held back one more season. Like Hosmer, Mancini can be that stopgap for one season, but he would be a better version of Hosmer. That should allow the Cubs to flip him at the deadline to try and gain something back for him. In any case, the Cubs may not be done adding to their roster quite yet, and Mancini is a name to follow.
