The case for a reunion: why Cedric Mullins and the Orioles might just need each other again .MH
The Orioles would be wise to potentially re-sign Cedric Mullins this winter.
The Baltimore Orioles’ disappointing 2025 season forced the front office to make tough decisions regarding the roster, especially once the trade deadline rolled around.
Baltimore ended up selling several fan-favorite players. Among the most notable were Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn, both of whom were sent to the San Diego Padres in return for several prospects. And another was outfielder Cedric Mullins, who was sent to the New York Mets in exchange for three prospects.
Seeing Mullins leave the Orioles was a tough pill for some fans to swallow, if only because he made his MLB debut with the team way back in 2018 and worked his way into the team’s starting lineup. He was a key component to Baltimore’s fantastic 2023 and 2024 regular season campaigns, including when he hit 18 home runs and stole 32 bases for them in 2024.
That being said, his getting dealt made sense for Baltimore because he was slated to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
At the time he was traded, Mullins was hitting .229 with a .738 OPS and 15 home runs in 91 games for Baltimore. This is why the Mets thought they were getting a difference maker on offense and one of baseball’s most elite defensive outfielders.
Unfortunately for New York, this trade did not pan out at all.
In 42 regular season games with the Mets, Mullins hit an abysmal .182 with a .565 OPS. There was an extended period of time down the stretch where he was essentially an automatic out, and his solid defense wasn’t enough for him to remain their full-time starting center fielder.
Given that the Mets didn’t make the postseason (and Mullins’ performance was a piece of that), there’s no way New York will want him back in free agency. But could Baltimore?
Why Orioles Should Consider Re-Signing Cedric Mullins
Spotrac projects that Mullins will sign a one-year, $6.7 million deal in free agency this winter. There’s no doubt that he would have warranted a longer-term and more lucrative contract if he had performed up to his capabilities with the Mets, which means he cost himself a lot of money by struggling.
But what better way to rebound than by re-signing with the team he’s spent almost his entire career with (who still needs a starting center fielder), show the rest of the baseball world that he’s still one of MLB’s better overall center fielders, and hit the market again next season?
And the Orioles will know exactly what to expect with Mullins while being able to allocate most of their free agency money to other holes in the roster, like in the starting rotation.
Hence why this reunion makes sense for both sides.
