Could Baltimore Orioles Move On From Veteran Outfielder At Deadline?

Based on the lack of production the Baltimore Orioles are getting from one of their veteran outfielders, they could look to upgrade at the trade deadline.

Jun 2, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins (31) pictured during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Daniel Kucin Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

It's been an incredible season for the Baltimore Orioles to date.

Despite the high level of play by their divisional rival New York Yankees, they are right there to win this division in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1970s.

That would be an incredible achievement, but is not what this team is focused on.

During the offseason, it was clear the front office had their sights set on a much higher goal.

Acquiring Corbin Burnes to give them an established ace at the top of their rotation to pair with emerging stars Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez, this group had all the makings of being able to make a deep playoff run.

When factoring in the MVP-level play from Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman continuing to be one of the best players in the game, this offense has surged to lead Major League Baseball in plenty of statistical categories.

However, one area on their roster is lacking.

It's been a tough year for veteran center fielder Cedric Mullins who is slashing .174/.222/.310 with six homers and 22 RBI through 60 games entering Wednesday.

He is now three seasons removed from his best output in 2021 when he was selected to his first All-Star game and put up his best career numbers.

Since then, his OPS+ has fallen in every year, going from 137 during his All-Star season, to 107 in 2022, to 101 last year, to now sitting at an abysmal 54.

Mullins battled injuries in 2023, and the hope was he would be able to rebound and showcase the ability that earned him the full-time starting center fielder role.

That's not the case, though.

This brings up the question if the Orioles should look to make an upgrade in their outfield at the trade deadline.

It certainly would be hard, considering he is a clubhouse leader and is a veteran presence, but for this team to truly make a run at the World Series, they have to get better production from that position in the lineup.

If Baltimore does feel like they need to make a change, they'll probably look at internal options first.

Star prospect Heston Kjerstad has gotten a couple opportunities in the bigs, but they clearly felt he wasn't ready as he's been sent back down to the minors each time. Austin Hays is a possibility along with Ryan O'Hearn, but Hays also has an OPS+ below the league average of 100 and O'Hearn is largely used as the backup first baseman.

Jorge Mateo has gotten more opportunities in the outfield, something he worked on this offseason, but he has been a central part to their infield defense with Ramon Urias struggling.

It seems unlikely that the front office would look to move on from a veteran leader and bring in someone from the outside, but at this point, it doesn't look like things are turning around for Mullins.

At the very least, this is something they need to consider before the July 30 deadline.