The Houston Astros acquired first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles and catcher Christian Vazquez from the Boston Red Sox on Monday in separate deals. With the acquisitions, the Astros addressed two of their most pressing needs.
The Mancini trade was a three-team transaction that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays. In addition to Mancini, the Astros acquired minor league right-hander Jayden Murray from the Rays, who received outfielder Jose Siri from Houston in exchange. Meanwhile, the Orioles acquired minor league right-handers Seth Johnson from the Rays and Chayce McDermott from Houston.
Vazquez’s trade
In exchange for Vazquez, the Red Sox received infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez, a No. 28 prospect, and minor league outfielder Wilyer Abreu from the Astros.
The 31-year-old Vazquez has a.759 OPS this season. With eight home runs and 42 RBIs recorded in 2022, he will be an immediate upgrade over the Astros’ current starting catcher, Martin Maldonado. Vazquez, who will be a free agent next season, has been with the Red Sox since 2014 and is the team’s longest-tenured player.
Vazquez will share catching duties with Maldonado as veteran Jason Castro is out for the season due to a knee injury.
“This is one that I know hurts in the clubhouse,” Red Sox general manager Chaim Bloom said of the move.
Mancini’s trade
The 30-year-old Mancini is hitting.268 with ten home runs and 41 RBIs in his sixth season with the Orioles (51-51). the team is only three games out of the American League’s final wild-card spot.
Mancini was named American League Comeback Player of the Year last season after missing the 2020 season to undergo treatment for stage 3 colon cancer.
Mancini has a mutual option for $10 million in 2023. According to Statcast metrics, if Mancini had been an Astro all year and played his home games in Houston, where Minute Maid Park has a short left-field porch, he could have had around 17 homers instead of 10.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said the player would be difficult to replace on and off the field.
“Trey has been such an important part of our lives here the last, since I’ve been here, and a big part of Baltimore and a big part of this community,” Hyde said.
“And you know it’s hard to see someone like him go, just a close friend to so many people. It wasn’t fun, but happy for him and the opportunity he’s going to have, but it’s hard to say goodbye.”
Meanwhile, Mancini said he was excited to play for his new team.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the organization,” Mancini said. “They’ve had such a consistently good team for a lot of years, and they’re having another great year this year.”
“So I’m excited to be a part of it and. Yeah, it’s crazy. But yeah, like I said, wasn’t expecting anything to happen today. So I’m still just kind of taking it all in. … But definitely excited to see what the rest of this year holds in Houston.”