Mancini Waits For His Turn

BALTIMORE—Earning the Orioles’ minor league player of the year award in 2015 didn’t assure first baseman Trey Mancini of a promotion to the highest level in the system.

In fact, the 24-year-old Mancini is back at Double-A Bowie despite an apparent vacancy at first base at Triple-A Norfolk, where Christian Walker moved to left field.

Offseason waiver claim Joey Terdoslavich plays first base at Norfolk, leaving Mancini in the Eastern League while waiting for regular playing time. Until then, he’ll try to perform his best and wait patiently.

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“The situation right now that our organization is in, we have a lot of really good players and veteran guys who are in Triple-A,” said Mancini, a 2013 eighth-round pick out of Notre Dame who hit .359 to win the EL batting title last year.

“The situation dictates that, right now, I start the year (at Bowie). I understand that, and I’m really good with it. Wherever I am, I know I have to hit and field and perform. Wherever I am asked to go, that is what I’ll do. I’m glad to be here.”

As if to prove his point, Mancini homered in three of his first four games with the Baysox.

“Trey is a pro,” Bowie manager Gary Kendall said. “We’ve got other guys who had big numbers, but it’s about playing, and sometimes we can’t control things above our level. We’ll have him for whatever time we have him, and our job is to make him a better player and get him one step closer to the major leagues.”

Mancini seemed to take a giant leap in 2015 while hitting .341/.375/.563 with 21 home runs, 43 doubles and 89 RBIs in 136 games at high Class A Frederick and Bowie.

BIRD SEED

• The Orioles signed former Cardinals righthanded reliever Eric Fornataro to a minor league contract and sent him to extended spring training in Sarasota, Fla. The 28-year-old spent last season at Triple-A Syracuse in the Nationals system. The Virginia native recorded a 4.66 ERA in 10 relief innings for the 2014 Cardinals.

• The Orioles purchased lefthander Jayson Aquino from the Cardinals and optioned him to Bowie. The 23-year-old Dominican changeup artist signed with the Rockies in 2009 but, beginning in February 2015, he has bounced from Colorado to the Blue Jays to the Pirates to the Indians to the Cardinals to the Orioles, topping out at Double-A.