Fans of the Baltimore Orioles are split on whether or not they want to see the team trade Trey Mancini. Where do you stand on the issue?
Aaron: Baltimore must trade Trey Mancini. It hurts because Mancini is a leader in the clubhouse and is not just the Orioles best player, but is starting to make noise as one of the better players in all of baseball. However, at 27 years of age, he is in the prime of his career and by the time the Orioles are ready to compete, he’ll likely be well into his 30’s. He has several years left on his very team-friendly contract, which would make him very desirable for ball clubs and would likely lead to them sending an impressive package to acquire Mancini. With the Orioles farm system still ranked towards the bottom in baseball, they must pull the trigger on a Mancini trade.
Chuck: In regards to Trey Mancini, no one should be untouchable. If there are offers and they will make the team better you have to pull the trigger. He is a free agent in 2023 and his cost may be too high at that point. He has three options left and three years of control so he has value. The question will be, what will he get in arbitration in 2020 and will that cost be too high for the rebuild.
Nick: I do think the Orioles should trade Mancini and anyone else other teams come calling for. I have a lot of respect for Mancini, the way he plays the game, the way he interacts with fans, and how he’s rebounded well from his sophomore struggles. I could spend a lot of time singing the praises of Mancini, but Baltimore doesn’t have very many trade pieces and Mancini is clearly the most valuable. I know a lot of fans would be extremely disappointed, and I understand why, but this team was torn down to the foundation last season and needs to acquire talent through whatever means necessary.
Jesse: Trey Mancini should be traded. Unless Mike Elias and the organization think this team can be a playoff contender by 2021, when Mancini would still have some prime years remaining, a deal where he is the catalyst would be the deal where the Birds could get the most prospects in return. Also, it is not like Mancini is Manny Machado or Mike Trout. He is a very good player but does not get on base particular well and is less than one year removed from a season in which he hit just .242 and struck out 153 times. The Orioles should trade him while he is having the best season of his career so they can get the most in return.
Next question: Who did you have high hopes for in 2019, but has disappointed?