By Jon Paul HoornstraShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberCedric Mullins was on a short list of the most-coveted outfielders at the 2025 trade deadline. With the Baltimore Orioles' season firmly in the tank, Mullins — a former Silver Slugger Award winner and American League All-Star — got a ticket out of town.
The Mets acquired Mullins for three minor leaguers in July, then watched him slash .182/.284/.281 in 42 games down the stretch as the team's primary center fielder.
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The Mets missed the postseason, and Mullins became a free agent at the conclusion of the World Series. Now he's reportedly headed back to the American League East — this time with a new team.
...According to multiple reports Wednesday, Mullins is in agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays on a one-year contract for 2026. Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was first with the news on Twitter/X.
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Mullins, 31, played for the Orioles from 2018-25. He hit 30 home runs and batted .291 — both career-highs — in 2021, the year he made his only All-Star team and captured the Silver Slugger Award.
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From 2022-24, Mullins slashed .244/.311/.407 while averaging only 16 home runs and 64 RBIs per season in Baltimore. Although he stole 85 bases during the three-year stretch, his bat struggled to resemble the All-Star form he flashed in 2021.
Mullins was one of many Orioles players who got off to a slow start in 2025. He was slashing .229/.305/.433 at the time of the trade.
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Now he'll look to bounce back in 2026, and perhaps land a longer-term contract a year from now, in a familiar division. Center field was a potential area of weakness for the Rays. They were potentially looking at rookie Chandler Simpson and Jonny DeLuca — neither of whom has proven they can hit at the MLB level — as their starting tandem.
Now they'll turn to Mullins as a short-term solution while the youngsters develop, and hope he can reclaim his All-Star form.
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