Chicago Cubs: former 1B retires after making 2nd successful MLB comeback

The Chicago Cubs have established themselves as perennial contenders in the National League. In order to get to this point, they have both acquired and developed players that are mainstays at various positions. Currently, Michael Busch is entrenched at first base; but there was a time not too long ago when Chicago did not have a sure answer at first base. As a result, multiple veterans were signed and given the opportunity to stick, though none succeeded until Busch.

One of these was Trey Mancini, who announced his retirement from baseball today after an eight-year career.

Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Trey Mancini has retired from baseball

Mancini, one of the most inspirational players in the game, played for the Cubs in 2023. That year, he hit .234/.299/.336 with four home runs and 28 RBI in 79 games.

On Tuesday, he announced his retirement:

Trey Mancini has announced his retirement after 8 Major League seasons spent with the Orioles, Astros, Cubs and Angels.

The 34-year-old Mancini was awarded AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 after missing the previous season as he battled colon cancer. He completed his… pic.twitter.com/RPpaigba50

— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2026

As mentioned in the post above, Mancini saw his Major League career interrupted when he was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2020 while playing for the Baltimore Orioles. The year prior, he had hit .291/.364/.535 with 35 home runs and 97 RBI. At the time, he looked like a rising star in the league.

Mancini beat cancer and returned to the Majors in 2021 with Baltimore. That year, he was the AL Comeback Player of the Year after hitting .255/.326/.432 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI.

The Orioles traded Mancini to the Houston Astros in 2022, and helped that team win the World Series. After playing for Chicago in 2023, Mancini took a year off from baseball.

Desiring to play in the Majors once more, he signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but spent all of 2025 at Triple-A.

This season, he signed another minor league deal, this time with the Los Angeles Angeles. He was called up in early June, and hit .308/.286/.462 with four RBI in five games. The Angels designated Mancini for assignment on June 17.

But he did it. For the second time in his career, he overcame impossible odds and returned to the Majors, albeit for a brief while.

And now, his career is done. On his terms.

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