The Astros acquired Trey Mancini from the Orioles, but who won the deal?
The Houston Astros have pulled off an early-MLB Trade Deadline shocker by acquiring Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles while being apart of a huge 3-team trade.
The Astros had been on the hunt for a first baseman for awhile due to Yuli Gurriel's struggles. After being connected for a long time with Josh Bell, the Astros pivoted.
Instead, they took on the fan favorite and star of the Orioles, Mancini. He is a heartthrob after overcoming cancer in 2020.
Trey Mancini trade grades: Who won the deal?
Houston Astros Trade Grade: A+
The Astros get a half-season from first baseman Trey Mancini who is 30 years old. Mancini is hitting .268/.347/.404 through 401 plate appearances. He has 16 doubles, 10 home runs, and 41 RBI. The former Oriole is walking at a terrific 8.7 percent rate, while striking out at a below-league-average 21.5 percent rate. He's been worth 2.0 WAR including being a decent defender at first.
The power is still there for Mancini but isn't showing up in the stats due to Baltimore's new left-field wall. With Houston's short left-field porch, expect plenty of blasts from Mancini. He can help lift Houston's offense quite a bit while providing leadership.
The Astros got a pitching prospect in Jayden Murray from the Rays as well. He's in Double-A this year and performing really well. He has a 2.83 ERA over 76.1 innings. Murray has struck out 65. He has the potential to be a late-rotation starter or long-man out of the bullpen.
The Astros did have to give up some players. They gave up RHP prospect Chayce McDermott who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. He has struggled a lot this year but has displayed an insane ability to get strikeouts. McDermott has 114 of them in only 72 innings. His control is worrisome since he has walked 43 and given up 48 runs. If the Orioles can get his control under wraps, he could be amazing.
The other player the Astros gave up is centerfielder Jose Siri. He is being sent to the Rays. Siri is a talented outfielder who is still a rookie. This means the Rays will have six years of control over him. The 26-year-old has struggled in the majors this year, hitting only .178/.238/.304 in a small sample size of 147 plate appearances. He brings tons of speed, fielding, and power to the Rays. He can help cover their rash of outfield injuries.
Tampa Bay Rays Trade Grade: A
The Rays got a talented outfielder while only dealing two pitching prospects who weren't highly regarded. The other prospect they dealt was Seth Johnson to the Orioles, who is likely to undergo Tommy John Surgery soon. He only started 7 games this year but did strike out 41 batters in 27 innings. He has amazing strikeout potential and a big arm but now must recover from a rough surgery.
Baltimore Orioles Trade Grade: C+
The Orioles got the short-end of the stick in this trade. They get two prospects that have potential but are very risky as well. Baltimore traded a fan favorite and didn't get much in return. Now, they have upset the clubhouse morale and their fans. Was it worth it to get Trey Mancini's $2.72 MM salary off the books? The Orioles are only three games back of a wild-card spot.
Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure. The Astros got a massive upgrade and won this trade easily. The Rays shored up a weakness and got a player with a cheap contract for many years. The Orioles lost the trade, so far.
One thing is for sure, this is going to create a lot of issues in the Orioles' clubhouse while making tons of Astros players and fans extremely happy.