Who doesn’t love a summer rental? Few strings attached, could result in lifelong memories. Perhaps the Mets should look into one to add to their outfield mix.
Cedric Mullins is a nifty power-speed combo who would give the Mets a lefty-hitting option for center field, a position where they could use an offensive uptick. Mullins is a free agent after this season, so he’d likely be in Flushing just for the rest of this season, which, of course, likely tempers what level of talent the Baltimore Orioles can ask for in return.
So is Mullins, who has a 30-homer, 30-steal season on his resume, a Met match?
Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of David Stearns potentially trading for the outfielder who has nicknames ranging from "Parking Lot Ced" – for his ability to crush homers completely out of minor league ballparks – to "The Entertainer."
PROS
At the beginning of this season, Mullins, who turns 31 in October, gave Orioles fans a reminder of his broad skill set. In his first 23 games, he had a slash line of .295/.433/.590 with six homers and five stolen bases. On April 24, his OPS sat at 1.023 and it looked like he was primed for his best season since 2021, when he went 30-30, had an .878 OPS, made the AL All-Star team and finished ninth in AL MVP voting.
Since then? Um, we’ll get into that in the "Cons" section of this piece.
For now, we move on to how Mullins is a proven source of pop, having hit double-digits in homers in all five seasons as a regular, including 13 so far this year. He’s on pace for his first 20-plus homer season since ‘21. His next home run will be the 100th of his career.
He’s got plenty of derring-do on the bases, too. Mullins has stolen 13 bases in 16 tries this year (81.3 percent) and sits just a shade under 80 percent for his career. In 2022, he became just the fifth Orioles player to record back-to-back seasons of 30-plus steals. His running game would fit nicely on a Mets team that is very efficient at stealing bases – they are 74-for-84 (88 percent).
Mullins, once a switch-hitter who gave it up before his big ‘21 season, could give the Mets a left-handed hitter to pair with Tyrone Taylor, who’s a superior defensive player, in a platoon in center. Mets center fielders ended the first half 24th in average (.223), 25th in on-base percentage (.282), 23rd in slugging (.332) and 24th in OPS (.614).
Only two teams have fewer home runs than the four the Mets have gotten from their center fielders.
CONS
Mullins has fizzled after his hot start, batting .188 with a .243 on-base percentage and .340 slugging in 56 games. That means he’s at .218/.302/.411 for a .713 OPS at the All-Star break. Still, his OPS is 99 points higher than the MLB average. The MLB average slash line is .245/.315/.400.
In fairness to Mullins, his first-half numbers in 2024 were not spectacular (.629 OPS), but he roared after the All-Star break, notching an .831 OPS, including a .374 on-base percentage.
Since his big 2021, he’s never had a full-season OPS over .721. If he’s going to offer a platoon option, he’s got to be better against right-handed pitchers (.197 average so far this year).
He’s walking more than ever – he’s got a 10.3 percent walk rate, which would be the first in double-digits in his career – but his 23.4 percent strikeout rate would be the second-highest of his career.
Some of his defensive metrics have backslid, so he might not be the defender he once was.
VERDICT
Because Mullins is going to be a free agent after the season, his price tag — should the Orioles move him — will be more palatable than it would be for a player with years of remaining club control. That’s why Mullins makes more sense for the Mets than, say, a player such as Jarren Duran, the Red Sox outfielder who won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season.
The Mets, you may have heard, are intent on developing their farm system. Still, true contenders can’t let prospect hoarding stand in the way of improving the big league club in a go-for-it season. Acquiring Mullins, who should not command a strafing of the top end of their prospect list, fits with that boost-the-system mandate while also pumping some power and speed into the major league squad.
And retaining their best prospects would give the Mets the flexibility to make a bigger deal for pitching, another need. Jeff McNeil could ditch his part-time center field work and concentrate on raking as the second baseman.
In his career, Mullins has thrived at Citi Field, a noted pitcher’s park, recording a 1.026 OPS. Maybe the Mets should put his Queens comfort to work for them in the second half.
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