Mullins has been the best Oriole so far. Does that mean they should pay the man?
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The plan for 2025 Orioles success has just not come together yet this year. The rotation is a disaster area, the offense has some crucial strugglers especially against lefty starters, and the bullpen hasn’t given anybody reason to be confident yet. One of the only unambiguous bright spots, perhaps the only one, has been the performance of Cedric Mullins.
This could end up being the last hurrah in an Orioles uniform for Mullins. The team’s longest-tenured player, going back to when he arrived in the later parts of the 2018 disaster, is set to become a free agent after this season. Mike Elias has shown no substantial interest in retaining his own free agents up to this point and he’s yet to sign any player to a contract extension that would keep them around beyond their years of team control.
This week’s survey is a yes or no: Should the Orioles extend Mullins? It’s safe to incorporate some judgment from your heart into this answer, because I’m not asking whether they will. That answer is almost certainly no. They could, though, and perhaps they should. What do you think?
A short version of the case for extending Mullins is that he’s been a solid regular player and consistent hitter for the past three reasons before this, and it’s looking like that is continuing this year. There’s a good (if optimistic) reason to believe that Mullins could keep it coming for another three years or so, enough to make it worth giving him a contract for that time.
The case against extending Mullins is if you’re a believer in the outfield prospects coming along for the Orioles. The O’s are already having a tough enough time trying to break in Heston Kjerstad, with only the injury to Colton Cowser giving Kjerstad a shot. Enrique Bradfield (still injured) could play his way into readiness next year, and beyond that, there’s Vance Honeycutt to consider in a couple of years, if he doesn’t strike out so much that he’s a bust.
What do you think?