The Astros have acquired Orioles first baseman and outfielder Trey Mancini in a three-team trade with the Rays that involves five players, according to multiple reports.
Mancini will head to Houston alongside Tampa Bay right-handed pitching prospect Jayden Murray. Baltimore will land a pair of right-handers, one from each of Tampa and Houston, in Seth Johnson and Chayce McDermott. The Rays will cap off the deal by acquiring centerfielder José Siri from the Astros.
Dan Connolly of The Athletic first broke the news of Mancini’s involvement in the deal. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal later reported that the trade included the Rays, with ESPN’s Jeff Passan confirming the full deal shortly after.
Mancini, 30, is the centerpiece of the trade and will now be tasked with helping the Astros in the American League pennant race. The veteran outfielder and first baseman is slashing .268/.347/.404 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI in 92 games with the Orioles this season.
Although he’ll join a World Series contender, Mancini’s departure from Baltimore will be bittersweet. The 2013 eighth-round draft pick has spent his entire career within the organization, included when he spent the entire 2020 season sidelined due to stage 3 colon cancer.
Mancini admitted that after hearing of the deal, he was “filled with emotions,” according to MASN’s Roch Kubatko.
In addition to Mancini, the Astros will also take on Murray, a 25-year-old pitching prospect who was drafted by the Rays in the 23rd round of the 2019 draft. Murray is the No. 21-ranked prospect in Tampa’s organization, according to FanGraphs.
The Orioles will receive a pair of young arms in the deal, led by Johnson, a 23-year-old right-hander. Johnson is MLB’s No. 89-ranked overall prospect and No. 4-ranked minor leaguer in the Rays farm system, according to FanGraphs, while McDermott is ranked No. 11 within the Astros organization.
Siri will round out the deal by making way for Tampa. After making his debut in 2021, the 27-year-old outfielder has hit .178 with three homers and 10 RBI in 48 games in the majors this season but is regarded as a strong defender.
