The Chicago Cubs, in their bid to make it back to the postseason, pulled off one of the biggest signings during the 2022 free agency. The Cubs signed former Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million deal, bolstering Chicago's middle infield alongside the nascent Nico Hoerner. And it seems like the Cubs aren't done making moves just yet.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Cubs are a potential landing spot for first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini, who won the 2022 World Series with the Houston Astros.
The Cubs have a gaping hole at first, so this potential signing makes a ton of sense for both parties. Still only 30-years old, Mancini is an enticing buy-low option for a team that won only 74 games last season. Mancini should also be able to rebuild his stock as he need not split time with the Cubs' other first basemen options.
Trey Mancini hit well enough for the Baltimore Orioles in the first half of the 2022 season, but he struggled mightily once he arrived in Houston. Mancini hasn't quite reached the heights of his 2019 season, and he even overcame a serious illness along the way.
At the moment, the Cubs have Patrick Wisdom, Alfonso Rivas, and Matt Mervis as their top three first baseman on the depth chart. Suffice to say, those are uninspiring options.
However, in 534 plate appearances last season, Wisdom displayed suboptimal on-base skills and subpar defense, leading to a measly 1.1 WAR (per Fangraphs). Moreover, Rivas hit for a measly .629 OPS in 287 plate appearances, while Mervis is an unproven option despite tearing up Triple-A in 2022.
Thus, Trey Mancini should be an enticing option to add to an infield helmed by Dansby Swanson. Alongside Cody Bellinger, the Cubs will be delighted to have two projects whose games they can look to rehabilitate as they try to make their way back to contention.
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