Grading the NY Mets trade with the Orioles for Cedric Mullins

With the deadline less than three hours away, the New York Mets continue to upgrade their roster. After rebuilding their bullpen, the Mets have upgraded their lineup by acquiring Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets will be sending Raimon Gomez, Anthony Nunez, and Chandler Marsh to Baltimore in exchange.

This should come as no surprise to fans, as the Mets had been trying to acquire a center fielder for the past few days, and Mullins was one of the best available players. However, what type of player are the Mets getting, and how can Mullins help the team get back to the postseason?

Cedric Mullins Trade Inital Grade: B+

Mullins was a fixture of the Orioles' lineup for the past seven and a half seasons. During his time with the Orioles, he has slashed .250/.318/.426 with 15 home runs, 139 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 107. His best season came back in 2021, and since then, he has not been able to recapture that magic. Through 91 games this season, he has slashed .229/.305/.433 with 15 home runs, 49 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 105. It's been much better against left-handed pitchers, slashing .298/.390/.476 with three home runs, nine RBIs, and a wRC+ of 143.

While the bat has not been where many expected, his defense remains one of the best in the league. According to Baseball Savant, he has an Outs Above Average (OAA) of two, which ranks in the 83rd percentile among qualified MLB players. Some fear that acquiring a center fielder to upgrade from Tyrone Taylor's bat could cause the Mets to lose the defense that Taylor provides. However, that won't be a problem as Taylor's OAA is only seven percentiles higher than Mullins. Not a significant downgrade.

Mullins also brings more speed into the Mets' lineup. He has a sprint speed of 28.4, which is in the 80th percentile. With the stolen base becoming such a big part of the Mets' offensive attack, having a speedster like Mullins can increase that. With him having good numbers against lefties, we likely see him in the leadoff spot when facing them, moving Nimmo down to fifth on those days.

It also didn't take much for the Mets to get him. Nunez is the best prospect going back to the O's, who is currently the 14th-best prospect in the Mets system according to MLB Pipeline. Gomez was also in the Mets' top 30, with him sitting at 30. All three of these pitchers are likely to be nothing more than relievers, if they even make the bigs. Considering the White Sox wanted Jonah Tong, the Mets' second-best prospect, for Luis Robert Jr., this package is nothing.

This is a deal that will help stretch out the Mets' lineup. It adds more protection without sacrificing the defense they were getting in center field. Although it's not the big name everyone is expecting, it's a good move that will help the Mets during the pennant chase.