Braves have reportedly “kicked the tires” on Trey Mancini, an interesting trade target

The Braves are searching for at least one hitter to bolster their lineup, and we can add Orioles slugger Trey Mancini to the list of players they have checked on this winter, according to Jon Heyman. He adds there is “nothing serious at the moment” and that it may be tough for Baltimore to move Mancini.

Mancini, 29 in March, enjoyed a breakout 2019 campaign with a 134 wRC+, 35 homers and a robust .291/.364/.535 line. He’s owed $4.75 million in 2021 with his final year of arbitration set for 2022.

Mancini fits the profile of the kind of players Alex Anthopoulos’ front office likes to target; he hits the ball hard. While he did not play in the shortened 2020 season*, his 2019 numbers across the board ranked near the top of the league in exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate. However, his defensive numbers are quite bad, ranking at the bottom of the league in Outs Above Average and Outfielder Jump, and he’s better served as a first baseman or DH moving forward.

*As noted above, Mancini missed the 2020 season as he was diagnosed with colon cancer in March. Thankfully, he has completed a successful round of chemotherapy and intends to play in 2021.

It’s unclear if any kind of progress has been made in discussions between Atlanta and Baltimore, but Mancini would certainly fit the kind of bat the Braves are looking to add, especially if the DH is expected to be around in 2021.