The Philadelphia Phillies have recorded Major League Baseball’s best record after one-third of the season, enjoying another year as one of the sport’s best teams.
But after one of their most successful regular seasons in recent history last year, the Phillies won just a single playoff game before being eliminated by the New York Mets, sending a message about just how tough it is to sustain success into the postseason.
After that harsh lesson, the Phillies could be looking to pad their strong roster with some reinforcement at the trade deadline. And Jim Riley of BALLCAP Sports predicted they would do so by adding some offensive thump to the outfield.
Noting the upcoming playoff challenges for the Phillies, Riley predicted the team would add outfielder slugger Cedric Mullins in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
“It is going to be a grueling October. … To get through the national league side of the postseason bracket is going to be one hell of a gauntlet,” he said. “You can’t be weak anywhere. Philly is going to have to be aggressive, I like them to grab Mullins.”
Riley noted that, as the Orioles spiral toward selling at the deadline, Mullins might be a fit with contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Cleveland Guardians as well. But the match with Philadelphia makes a lot of sense as the Phillies have struggled to find strong offensive production from centerfield options Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas.
Mullins, meanwhile, has slashed .226/.320/.446 with 10 homers so far and would bring much more offense to the latter part of the Phillies’ batting order.
The Phillies might also be able to add him without giving up too much. He’s set to hit free agency at the end of the season and projected to earn a $56 million contract going forward, per Spotrac, so the Orioles might be happy to recoup even some marginal future talent in exchange.
As the Phillies look to translate their regular season success into a World Series championship, it’s the kind of trade they need to consider.
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