Orioles Fan Favorite Named Best Fit for AL Rival at MLB Trade Deadline

It has been a season to forget for the Baltimore Orioles, who occupy last place in the American League East division with a record of 44-56 entering play on Wednesday.

A hot stretch of play in June did not spark a longer-term run back toward contention for a playoff spot, so general manager Mike Elias and the front office now have clarity regarding their standing as a major seller at this year's trade deadline.

That means the Orioles will look wildly different come Aug. 1, with a large number of veterans on the roster likely being shipped to contenders and playoff hopefuls alike.

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Among that group is center fielder Cedric Mullins, a longtime Baltimore fixture who can provide quality defense and some solid offensive contribution as a left-handed bat.

In his latest trade deadline preview, ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan listed Mullins as the best fit for the Houston Astros

"Once the left side of the infield gets healthy, the Astros won't need much, but Mullins -- who, since a scorching April, has hit .184/.230/.342 -- is more of a complementary upgrade than a game changer. Then again, like so many others, he could get to Houston and suddenly be the best version of himself," Passan wrote.

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Mullins, a North Carolina native, has a career slash line of .248/.317/.422, but he's down in all three metrics this season and he's been worth minus-0.5 bWAR after being more valuable than at least 2.0 wins in every year since 2020.

He makes sense for the Astros regardless, as the AL West leaders have been crushed by injuries all season long. They've been able to thrive anyway, but the need for a big league caliber left-handed bat is strong.

Like Passan notes, Mullins is not quite the prize he would have been at earlier stages of this year, so he likely would not return a top-flight package for the Orioles.

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Still, with him set to become a free agent after the season, getting something back is key.

Assuming a move occurs, it would be tough for Baltimore fans to see Mullins go, as he represents one of the last pieces from the darkest days of the team's rebuild that made it through to see the club return to the playoffs the past two years.

But it could also help get them back towards contention and put this disastrous season behind them.

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