3) Cedric Mullins
Another Oriole that could soon get moved is Cedric Mullins. The former All-Star has been an underrated presence in a young Orioles’ line-up. He is a center fielder who can provide power, some stolen bases, and a solid glove up the middle. With the Mets needing help in center field, Mullins is a great fit for their depth chart.
Mullins is slashing .230/.321/.445 on the year. He already has ten home runs in 218 plate appearances, and his .215 isolated slugging percentage would be the best he’s put up since his 2021 breakout season. Although he has a career-worst 25.2% K%, he is also walking at a career-best 11% rate. Overall, he has a .336 wOBA and 119 wRC+.
Mullins’ defense in center field is currently getting mixed reviews by defensive metrics. Defensive runs saved has him as a well below average glove, with -5 DRS in only 445.1 innings. But outs above average has him as a plus defender, with +1 OAA. According to Baseball Savant, Mullins is the second-best route runner in baseball, tied with Brenton Doyle and only surpassed by Byron Buxton. But he only ranks 58th out of 91 qualified outfielders in jump.
The Mets haven’t had any problems getting good defense out of their center fielders. They have +4 DRS and +2 OAA. However, their center fielders have only a .673 OPS, a .298 wOBA, and a 92 wRC+. One of their offseason acquisitions that was intended to help up the middle, Jose Siri, may now miss a longer-than-expected period of time after suffering a tiba fracture earlier this year. Mullins still gives the Mets a decent glove in the outfield but is also a considerable improvement when it comes to offense. He is only a rental as well, so the Mets wouldn’t need to commit long-term.