Boston Red Sox fans, another American League East offseason move has taken place! On Wednesday night, multiple reports indicated that the Tampa Bay Rays had signed All-Star center fielder Cedric Mullins to a one-year deal.
Mullins, 31, hit .216 with 94 hits, 17 homers, 59 RBI and 58 runs scored in 133 games in 2025. He was a member of the Baltimore Orioles his entire career until the last day of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, on which he was traded to the New York Mets.
Now, Mullins is headed back to the AL East, this time to join the Rays.
Mullins burst onto the MLB scene in 2018 with the Orioles, a 13th-round draft pick from Campbell University who quickly became a fan favorite for his electrifying speed and glove work in center field. His 2021 breakthrough season etched his name in franchise lore: the first Oriole to notch a 30-30 campaign, earning All-Star honors, a Silver Slugger, and a Gold Glove nod. That year, he slashed .291/.360/.518.
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Since then, consistency has proved elusive for Mullins amid injuries and slumps. From 2022-24, Mullins delivered steady defense and baserunning prowess, but his bat cooled to a .244 average with 48 homers across three years. Entering 2025 as Baltimore’s longest-tenured player, he started scorching hot, pacing the Orioles with a .295/.433/.590 line and six early homers through April, fueling playoff hopes.
A midseason skid followed, marred by a hamstring strain in late May that sidelined him until early June. Rebounding briefly, Mullins clubbed his 100th career homer on July 26 in an 18-0 rout of Colorado, joining Brady Anderson and Paul Blair as the third Oriole with 100 homers and 100 steals. But the Orioles’ fade prompted a July 31 deadline trade to the Mets for three pitching prospects. In Queens, the struggles intensified; over 42 games, he hit just .182/.284/.281, plagued by a .178 average in his final 29 contests and defensive dips, as the Mets missed the postseason.