We asked readers earlier in the week if the Orioles should trade center fielder Cedric Mullins.
Here are the results from our online poll:
- No — 80.7% (481 votes)
- Yes — 19.3% (115 votes)
Baltimore sent Mullins to the Mets on Thursday, a couple of hours before the MLB trade deadline.
Here’s what some fans told us about Mullins’ spot on the Orioles’ roster (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar):
Trade him and then bring him back next year. I’m a lifelong Orioles fan who now lives in North Carolina, and I have a degree from Campbell, where Mullins played. I’m a huge Mullins fan. Let’s get a return for him while we can and bring him back Baltimore in ’26 with a new contract. — David Stratton
Absolutely not. The Orioles have a habit of trading away fan favorites and Mullins is far and away the best outfielder we have. — Stan B
What would you think if general manager Mike Elias signed (or traded for) a center fielder with a negative WAR, a .229 average and a below average arm? You would say he’s crazy, but that’s what Mullins is at this point. I love Cedric but we need more than we are getting from him in center field. — Dave T
Sadly, the answer is yes. The Orioles should trade Mullins. Not because he is no longer a capable player — he is. And he is popular in the clubhouse and with fans. But the Orioles are not going to spend serious money to re-sign him and, if they make him a qualifying offer in the hope of receiving a compensatory draft pick, that could backfire if he chooses to accept the offer (rather than sign elsewhere as a free agent). Time to find out which of our outfield prospects can step up and play next year. Baseball, whether played on the field or in the front office, can be a tough game. — Laurence Berbert
The potential return doesn’t justify parting with a clubhouse leader and solid performer, streaky hitting and defensive metrics be darned. The likelihood of getting a prospect that’s a year or even two away from being a solid major league roster contributor in exchange feels slim. He’s not going to demand O’Hearn-type money to re-sign in the offseason. And if next year’s outfield is Mullins, Cowser, Laureano and O’Neill, that’d be solid enough to put the team in playoff contention if they can add pitching and stay off the IL, which is asking a lot, I know. — Joe Wasserkrug
I love the loyalty that Orioles fans have, but they are delusional when it comes basic baseball. Listen, he has an expiring contract and should 100% be traded. Dylan Beavers should be promoted to show what he can do. Please accept the fact that this current roster is not going anywhere, and let’s hope Elias can rectify all the mistakes he made this year. — Bob Iancione
Not only should the O’s not trade Mullins, they should extend his contract, making him an offer that he couldn’t refuse. As anyone who’s followed the O’s for the past half-dozen years is well aware, Mullins possesses an array of highly valuable skills, along with rare athleticism. His speed, base-running ability, extraordinary fielding skills and more than occasional displays of power make him infinitely more valuable to the O’s than any minor league prospects they might receive in a trade for him — prospects that, as is often the case in such situations, have little chance of making it to the major leagues. Keep Mullins on the team! — Charlie B
No. He’s been a loyal member of the team and the return they will get for him would be a low-A player that will never wear a major league uniform. Don’t Trey Mancini him. — David Burroughs
No, our young nucleus needs stability and a fan previously mentioned our tendency to trade fan favorites. I don’t wish to just cheer for the uniform. — Gunnar Fisher
Please keep Mullins. He is a fan favorite and he deserves to stay. — Brenda
We love Cedric, but if you love someone then you should want the best for him. I’d be fine trading him to a contender, let him go try and win a ring this season. Then if he and the O’s want to come back together in the offseason, then they have every opportunity to do so. Or he can go elsewhere and earn generational wealth. Everybody wins. — Bobby Turley
No, no, no! He is the foundation of the Orioles. He has been there for eight years. Keep him an Oriole for life! — Mimi McCardell
Best case at this point: trade him for prospects, then re-sign him in the offseason. — Ryan Holmberg
The man is an All-Star. He shows up and plays his best. Quit trying to trade your steady performers and give them stability so they can perform at their best. If upper management had done their due diligence and gotten some real pitching over the winter, we wouldn’t even be thinking of trades now. — John Wilson
The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll