Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported late last week that the Baltimore Orioles are making outfielder Cedric Mullins available via trade. Heyman noted that the asking price is “extremely high” but there will be some teams interested in Mullins after the season he had in 2021, including the New York Yankees.
Also, the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and San Francisco Giants could be among the teams interested, according to Heyman.
The New York Yankees could be among teams interested in Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins
Cedric Mullins, 27, was one of only a few positive things to come out of the 2021 campaign for the Baltimore Orioles. In 2021, he was also the only All-Star for the Orioles, and he won a Silver Slugger. He also hit 30 home runs and had 30 stolen bases, making him the only 30-30 player in all of baseball. That’s why some teams, like the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and San Francisco Giants could be among the teams interested in Mullins.
Heyman cites those teams plus the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as possible fits for Mullins. However, since Heyman’s tweet, the Mets have reportedly signed two outfielders (Mark Canha and Starling Marte to two- and four-year deals). As a result, they will likely be out of consideration now.
There are some other teams like the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Guardians, and Colorado Rockies that need some outfield and offensive help as well that could be interested.
Mullins broke onto the scene in 2021 as an outfielder that had never played more than 48 games in a season, as he did in 2020. He was, essentially, an average player in 2020 as he had an rWAR of 0.4. But in 2021, he was great as he hit .291/.360/.518 for the Orioles with 30 homers, 59 RBI, and an OPS+ of 135. Mullins came in ninth in AL MVP voting after posting a 5.7 rWAR season.
If Mullins can post those numbers in 2022, there will be plenty of teams, like the New York Yankees, that will be interested in that for their outfield for next season and beyond. However, it will take a big haul to make a trade happen.