The Philadelphia Phillies face tough choices as the trade deadline approaches. Johan Rojas, despite showing flashes of solid performance, has struggled for much of his time in the majors. Whether his occasional success is enough to secure his spot remains uncertain.
If the Phillies have an opportunity to improve in center field, it’s likely a move they must make—regardless of whether Rojas finds his best form in the coming weeks. The reality is, the team has repeatedly suffered from subpar production at that position, and failing to address it once again at the deadline would risk undermining the rest of the roster’s efforts.
Looking into possible destinations for some of the league’s top trade candidates, Jim Riley of Ball Cap Sports predicted that the Philadelphia Phillies would acquire Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles, who is considered one of the premier center fielders in the game.
“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.”
Cedric Mullins is a challenging player to assess. Although he could be the top center fielder available at the trade deadline, he’s currently in a significant slump, batting just .226. Earlier in the season, however, he was performing at a career-best level, posting a 122 OPS+ along with 10 home runs.
If the Phillies can tap into even a portion of that early-season production, Mullins could dramatically improve their lineup—an area that has struggled to find consistent output in recent years.
Leave a Reply