3 biggest Cubs stories through 3 weeks of spring training

3 biggest Cubs stories through 3 weeks of spring training: #2 Trey Mancini looks at home with his new team

One of the final pieces Jed Hoyer added this offseason came in the form of Trey Mancini, a veteran first baseman/corner outfielder coming off a World Series championship with the Astros.

A longtime Baltimore Orioles fan favorite, Mancini was traded to Houston at the deadline last summer and, although he struggled post-trade, has a pretty consistent track record to his credit (113 career OPS+). That led the Cubs to give him a two-year, $14 million deal, adding a versatile piece to the puzzle.

Mancini has looked comfortable with his new team from the start and the results speak for themselves. He carries a 1.221 OPS this spring that trails only Bote - and while he's struck out more than you'd like, he's showcasing a shortened stroke and peppering the ball all over the diamond. Of his 13 hits, just two have been for extra-bases (and both left the yard).

But as he continues to hone in, I suspect we'll see more power, especially as the regular season wears on. After all, this is a guy who popped 35 long balls back in 2019. While I don't think he's going to take aim at that mark in Chicago (given his focus on using the whole field and the new shift ban), he can definitely make some noise for the Cubs.