Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Trey Mancini. (Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports)
The Trey Mancini trade from the Orioles to the Astros had players and fans in Baltimore trying to process heartbreak and frustration.
Trey Mancini has been a fan favorite in Baltimore. So, of course, he’s been shipped away to Houston.
The Orioles traded Mancini to the Astros on Monday in a three-team deal that landed them a prospect each from Houston and Tampa Bay.
The reaction in Baltimore to even the idea of losing Mancini was heated. Seeing it actually happen crushed fans and even players like Ryan Mountcastle, Anthony Santander and Jorge López.
Fans of the Orioles and even neutrals looked at the deal with plenty of side-eye.
Trey Mancini trade: Best memes and tweets from angry Orioles fans
So we actually have a chance at the wild card and we are sellers at the deadline in true @Orioles fashion. 🤦🏻♂️
— Jason Schuster (@jschucomedy) August 1, 2022
Not everyone was irate though. Many tried to cope in their own ways, whether looking at the deal analytically or looking ahead to what Mancini can accomplish in Houston.
What’s done is done and Orioles fans will have to get used to seeing Mancini wearing a new jersey this year.
They can also start dreaming because GM Mike Elias is already talking about pursuing Mancini in free agency, per Roch Kubatko.
Mancini’s contract was up at the end of the season, so he’s basically a rental for Houston. Baltimore tried to get something back for him knowing free agency was coming up.
Judging the trade right now can only go so far. It’ll really come down to what happens with the prospects, Seth Johnson and Chayce McDermott, and Mancini down the line.