As much as you might dislike an offensively challenged team trading one of its best hitters, it is possible to spin a positive outlook on the Orioles’ trade of Trey Mancini to the Houston Astros for a pair of unproven pitchers, neither of whom figures to reach the big leagues before 2024 at the earliest.
Like it or not, this is the kind of trade you need to get used to if you believe this rebuild is sustainable over the long haul. And in this case, the “feel good” far outweighs any lingering bitterness that might result from anybody thinking the trade is no more than a two-month salary dump.
You can start with the player himself.
As much as Mancini is admired, respected, loved even, in this community, it would be hard, if not impossible, for Birdland not to be happy about this turn of events at such a crucial juncture in his career. Even Mo Gaba, the team’s legendary fan who was an inspirational force for his fellow cancer patient and whose memory was observed on the day Mancini hit an inside-the-park home run on his final at-bat at Camden Yards in an Orioles uniform, has to be rejoicing about a trade that gives his hero a chance to win a World Series ring.
I mean, really, what’s not to like about that scenario?
The fact that the key player in the trade from the Orioles’ standpoint, 23-year-old right-hander Seth Johnson, is preparing for Tommy John surgery is more a reflection of how the industry operates in the 21st century than an indictment of the trade. There almost seems to be a strategy of trading for a pitcher after surgery than during a period of time when he might be more susceptible.
If there is any surprise about the three-team trade that sent Mancini to Houston, it might be that he didn’t go to the other team involved — Tampa Bay, a team loaded with left-handed hitters in need of a right-handed bat.
For Mancini, on the other hand, things could hardly have worked out better. He’s going from a team playing in arguably the toughest home field for a right-handed power hitter to a team that plays in perhaps the easiest. Not to mention the jump from a fourth-place team to one that ranks as one two or three teams figured to have the best chance at winning it all.
The Astros flew under the radar on this one, but they actually have a ready spot for their newest acquisition — with first base, DH and left field all in play. Technically, the Orioles are only three games out of a potential playoff spot, but that is a tad deceiving — as is the recently tarnished image of the American League East.
As recently as July 12, AL East teams were leading for all three wild-card playoff spots, and little more than two weeks ago (July 15) a third team was only a game and a half out of the last spot. But since then, the Seattle Mariners, fortified by a seven-man starting rotation, have joined the Toronto Blue Jays as the leading contenders for the first two AL wild-card spots.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has a shaky lead for the final qualifier, with two AL Central teams (Cleveland and Chicago) still in the hunt both for the division title and playoff spot. Climbing over two teams would be a more formidable challenge than making up three games for the Orioles, who are locked in a tight duel with Boston for fourth place in the AL East.
The Orioles are currently in the midst of a nine-game stretch against teams (Cincinnati, Texas, Pittsburgh) with losing records — but it is the next 13 looming on the schedule that figure to make it difficult, if not impossible, to gain ground. At this stage, the 2022 Orioles are a year away from legitimately being a year away. For comparison, check out the 2015 and 2016 Houston Astros, who broke through to win it all in 2017.
In the meantime, the O’s and their fans have a legitimate rooting interest in the Astros, and that at least will make the last weekend of September, when Houston visits Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a whole lot more interesting than it figured to be 24 hours ago.
Putting a positive spin on the Jorge López deal is a little more difficult.
Jim Henneman can be reached at JimH@pressboxonline.com
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox