The Philadelphia Phillies are 15-13 to start the year, but the New York Mets are looking like a force to be reckoned with. The Phillies could swing a trade for a star near the trade deadline.
The Mets are 19-9 and just won three games of a four-game series against the Phillies. The Phillies could use some help in the outfield and could look at Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles as a target. FanSided's Matt Grazel tabbed him as a potential deadline acquisition.
"Philadelphia does not have enough depth in its outfield," wrote Grazel. "Nick Castellanos is off to a solid start, and Johan Rojas looks to have improved offensively from last year. He appears to have taken the reins as the club's starting centerfielder. Max Kepler has performed decently enough to be a starter, but it remains to be seen if he can do better. Brandon Marsh's performance before his injury was a cause for concern. He was not performing well enough to be a reserve outfielder, let alone a starter."
Mullins could solidify the Phillies' outfield. He is slashing .279/.421/.547 with six home runs. He was named an All-Star in 2021 and won his first career Silver Slugger. Since then, he has hit 85 home runs and has a .773 OPS.
The Orioles are 10-17 and could be sellers near the trade deadline. Mullins will be a free agent after the season, and the Orioles could look to move him before he potentially walks in free agency. Spotrac projects him to sign a four-year, $56 million deal in free agency.
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"Dombrowski should pursue Mullins if he's available," wrote Grazel. "He will be mentioned in trade conversations, especially if he continues his solid play leading up to the deadline. The outfielder is a pending free agent and may not be in Baltimore's plans beyond this season. They have multiple younger players led by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman who fans hope the team will keep for several years."
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