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During the offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays got rid of quite a few outfielders. They traded Jake Mangum, Josh Lowe, and Kameron Misner while non-tendering Christopher Morel.
Needing some bodies out there, the club decided to take a chance on Cedric Mullins. The two sides agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a mutual option for the 2027 season.
But unless something changes soon, he won't be back next year. Much like his time with the New York Mets after last year's trade deadline, he has failed to get much of anything going with the bat in his hands, hitting .198/.288/.311 with six home runs and 21 runs batted in.
MORE: MLB analyst questions if the Pirates should give up on this slugger
MLB analyst questions if Rays' offseason acquisition can turn things around
The Rays have played great baseball so far this season. They have been at or near the top of the AL East all season, and going into Thursday's games, they sit in second place with a 41-30 record.
They are just 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees, but that might be different if Mullins weren't struggling at the plate.
He's the one player on the Rays' roster that Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller is putting under a microscope.
"During an offseason in which they traded or non-tendered four of the five team leaders in outfielder appearances in 2025, the Rays made Mullins their fourth-highest salaried player to be a veteran leader in center. But it wasn't until Sunday—in the 68th game of the season—that Mullins got his batting average north of .200 or his OPS north of .600 for the first time. Will he actually help keep them in the mix for the AL's No. 1 seed?"
Unfortunately, after a 1-for-5 night against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Mullins' BA has dipped back below .200.
Mullins' bat speed has dropped over the years, and he's not as fast as he once was. However, that does not mean he still doesn't have the talent to salvage this sluggish start.
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