Former Chicago Cubs Flop Says He Was Surprised Following His Release Last Year

It seems like one of the Chicago Cubs past sluggers was surprised when he was released despite not playing to his potential.

Apr 4, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Trey Mancini (36) reacts after a strike called in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs have been searching for a full-time first baseman the past couple years after having to rotate different players at that position because of injuries and poor performances.

It seems like they have finally found that in Michael Busch, the top prospect from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization who they acquired this past offseason.

However, before that, they tried out different players they signed in the free agency market.

One of those was slugger Trey Mancini who was coming off winning a World Series title with the Houston Astros in 2022.

The Cubs handed him a two-year, $14 million contract in January 2023 to be their starting first baseman and rotate as designated hitter.

It seemed like a good fit on paper as Mancini had been a perennial 20-plus home run hitter with roughly 70 or more RBI per season during his career.

But, things didn't quite work out that way for either party.

In 79 games with Chicago, the 32-year-old veteran slashed .234/.299/.336 with just four homers and 28 RBI, while posting an OPS+ that was 28 percentage points below average at 72.

Ultimately, the Cubs decided to designate him for assignment on August 1 before releasing him a day later.

In a conversation with Roch Kubatko of MASN, Mancini said he was a bit surprised following that decision not even one full season into his two-year deal.

But, he also understands he wasn't quite playing up to his potential and takes the blame for that.

"It wasn't how I envisioned everything going there, but I didn't perform up to my abilities at the end of the day ... Still, I thought that I was starting to get on the right track offensively. I got thrown into a platoon role there in mid-May and never really found my footing, but that's not really an excuse. I’ve been around long enough and should be able to perform no matter how frequently I’m playing," he said.

On the surface, it was an interesting decision, especially considering Chicago had handed him a multiyear deal, but they clearly felt it was in the best interest of the club to move on from the veteran slugger.

Mancini currently sits as a free agent after not making the Opening Day roster with the Miami Marlins.