Should Orioles trade Cedric Mullins? | MAILBAG

Question: Did the Orioles miss their opportunity to trade Cedric Mullins? His production is cratering and he certainly doesn’t merit a qualifying offer. From: Craig Russell, Santa Rosa, California

Answer: Craig, I’m not sure that the Orioles missed a chance to trade Mullins. When would you have suggested they trade him? If it was this year, he’s been hitting under .240 since early May, and I don’t think his value would have been substantially higher then when the direction of the Orioles’ season wasn’t as clear as it is now.

If a contending team needs a centerfielder in late July, I think Mullins would be a smart two-month rental, and the Orioles would take a prospect in return. The odds are probably against keeping him and a qualifying offer probably isn’t coming, but I don’t think it’s the worst idea.

Question: There are only four or five untouchable Orioles: Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Samuel Basallo, and maybe Félix Bautista. Isn’t it time to sell?  If we are sellers, who would you trade? And what do you want back? From: Mike Berney

Answer: I would agree with your assessment on players they won’t trade, and I’ll add Adley Rutschman to the list because of the investment they have in him.

I think the Orioles will wait until late July to sell, if they do, since the longer you wait, the more you can generally get for players. They’ll also want to wait and few weeks to see how they play. If they get closer to .500, they may think differently, but I’m thinking they’re going to sell.

The most valuable players to trade are Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto.

It doesn’t matter who I want back. They’re likely to get a bunch of prospects for them. They need to restock the farm system and get as many players who can help the team in 2026 and beyond in return if they do sell.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.