There’s no way to sugarcoat it: the Baltimore Orioles have been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 season.
After winning 101 games and capturing the American League East Division title in 2023, the Orioles went 91-71 and earned their second straight postseason berth a year ago. Although the team did not win a playoff series in either of those trips, hopes were high of greater October success in 2025.
“Our goal is to go as far as we can and win a World Series,” Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman said in March.
Instead, the Orioles enter Memorial Day weekend with one of the worst records in all of baseball, sitting 13.5 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees on May 22. Brandon Hyde became the third MLB managers to be fired so far this season, getting the ax on May 17.
“You go back to last June, we were on top of the sport in almost every facet of the sport, including majors and minors,” general manager Mike Elias said. “Now we find ourselves where we find ourselves. This has been hitting us all very hard, but it’s unusual for that to be so sudden.”
Cedric Mullins ‘The Cream of the Crop’ Among Likely Baltimore Trade Chips
Much to his dismay, Elias finds himself among the likely sellers as the 2025 trade deadline approaches. And with nine pending free agents among a bevy of intriguing players on his roster, Elias is certain to field plenty of phone calls before the end of July.
In a recent article forecasting “The Most Likely Player to Be Traded for Every MLB Team in 2025,” Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report suggested that Cedric Mullins is “arguably the cream of the crop” for Elias. A 30/30 player in 2021, the 30-year-old Mullins has not reached that lofty tier since, but he does play a premium position and could draw significant interest.
“Center fielders worth a darn tend to be few and far between on the summer trade block, and there are always a few contenders who could use one,” Miller wrote.
One such contender could be the Los Angeles Dodgers. Never done looking for ways to improve themselves, the Dodgers have a situation in the outfield that several MLB analysts expect them to address.
Dodgers Could Acquire Cedric Mullins to Address Michael Conforto’s Struggles
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers left fielder Michael Conforto has struggled offensively this season, batting just .164 through 46 games.
While center fielder Andy Pages seems to have gotten himself untracked after some early season struggles, left fielder Michael Conforto is batting just .164 after 46 games and 146 at bats. This after finishing the last three seasons at .239 or worse.
Citing Miller’s recent analysis, TJ French of Athlon Sports proposed that Los Angeles could acquire Mullins to either play in left, or take over at center, with Pages sliding into Conforto’s spot.
“(W)ith Michael Conforto really underperforming at the plate, it might be time for a change,” French wrote.
French also noted that Miller tabbed right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso as a likely trade chip for the Dodgers. While Frasso missed the entire 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery, Miller stated that the 26-year-old, the No. 12 prospect in the Dodgers system, appears to be ready for his MLB debut and is “certainly worthy of a flyer.” French opined that a combination of Frasso and outfielder James Outman could be enough to acquire Mullins.
A former top-10 prospect who hit 23 home runs with 70 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in his first full season in 2023, placing third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, the 28-year-old Outman has been unable to keep hold of a roster spot with the Dodgers and would likely benefit from a change in scenery.
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