Angels sign first baseman who pledges new hitting coach saved his career

Despite the Los Angeles Angels working with found money this offseason after restructuring Anthony Rendon's contract, the team continues to stay in the lane of bargain-bin shopping. The Halos brought back third baseman Yoan Moncada, who will make less in 2026 than he did last year, and Los Angeles is offering a lifeline to former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that the Angels are signing the 33-year-old first baseman to a minor-league deal. While it may seem like a strange fit, the Angels wouldn't be the first team that comes to mind for an aging veteran; Mancini has a connection to Brady Anderson, the team's new hitting coach.

Anderson held a role in the Orioles' front office when Mancini was still ascending through their farm system. Mancini was drafted by Baltimore in 2013, and ahead of the 2015 season, he credited Anderson for changing his approach.

“Brady was able to diagnose right away what I could do better,” Mancini told Rosenthal. “That 2015 season changed my whole career trajectory, just because of him watching me take a couple of swings on deck.”

Trey Mancini is a familiar project for new Angels' hitting coach Brady Anderson.

Anderson's work for Mancini paid off, as he became an anchor in the Orioles' lineup, including during the 2019 season when he had 35 home runs. Mancini is likely hoping that reconnecting with Anderson can get his career back on track.

The veteran first baseman was traded by the Orioles to the Houston Astros during the 2022 season, and he's never been the same hitter that he was in Baltimore. Mancini quickly became an afterthought during the Astros' World Series run in 2022, hitting under .200 with only 8 home runs in 186 plate appearances.

The cancer survivor turned to the Chicago Cubs in 2023 to revive his career, and it didn't work out. The power completely evaporated from Mancini's approach while posting a 75 wRC+ in 263 plate appearances. That was Mancini's last look at the major league level, as he has had minor-league stops with the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, and Arizona Diamondbacks in the year since.

If nothing else, Mancini will be a good voice for Nolan Schanuel to have around, but it's hard to imagine him having a greater impact.