Center field has been a glaring weakness in the New York Mets lineup this season. That is no longer the case after Thursday’s trade.
Anthony DiComo from MLB.com reported that the Mets have acquired outfielder Cedric Mullins from the Orioles. In exchange, pitching prospects Raimon Gomez, Anthony Nunez and Chandler Marsh are heading to Baltimore.
Mullins gives the Mets another dynamic presence in the lineup. He had posted a .229/.305/.433 batting line in 355 plate appearances for the Orioles, hitting 15 homers and 19 doubles while stealing 14 bases. Mullins’ overall numbers were torpedoed by a dreadful two month slump in April and May where he had a .169/.204/.338 batting line in 158 plate appearances.
The Orioles receive a trio of intriguing pitching prospects highlighted by Nunez. The Mets’ 14th-ranked prospect at the time of the trade, Nunez spent two seasons in the San Diego Padres’ system as an infielder before going to Division II University of Tampa. A two-way player in 2024, he signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent and has rapidly ascended through their system. Nunez has a solid arsenal highlighted by a plus sweeper and changeup, helping his cutter and mid-90s fastball play up. His command is a work in progress but he may have a future as a late-inning weapon in the Orioles bullpen.
Gomez, the Mets’ 30th-ranked prospect, has the type of velocity that few pitchers can match. His 80-grade fastball regularly sits in the triple digits and has been clocked as high as 104.5 mph. His plus slider can make opposing hitters look foolish, especially if they are gearing up for the fastball. Gomez has question marks — his command is questionable at best and he is coming off of a Tommy John surgery in 2023. Nonetheless, his pure stuff is the type that teams dream about.
Marsh was unranked in the Mets system and is another relief prospect with a fastball/slider profile. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he has a solid slider, however, both play down due to a lack of control.
