The Guardians need to acquire an MLB-ready outfielder at the deadline

With the 2025 MLB trade deadline fast approaching, the Cleveland Guardians need to make a bold move to bolster the outfield.

While the team has done well to claw back above .500, they still don't have enough talent to make a deep run come October. Prospects Ángel Martínez and Daniel Schneemann have shown that they have what it takes to be pieces in the infield, but they haven't had anyone step up in that way in the outfield.

Cleveland must be buyers at the deadline for a MLB-ready outfielder to fix their current issues, and they could receive a major jump in productivity by acquiring Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins.

The Guardians need to acquire an MLB-ready outfielder at the deadline

The Guardians started the 2025 season with multiple players competing for playing time in the outfield — so much so that it seemed that the team had too many outfielders.

Fast forward to now, however, and you'll see have the exact other problem.

Not only has Lane Thomas failed to stay on the field but Will Brennan is out for the year and Johnathan Rodríguez and Jhonkensy Noel have both struggled this year.

Brennan, who has looked like he could be an everyday player in the past, underwent season-ending surgery in June and Rodríguez is hitting just .155 while struggling in the field.

And then there's Noel, who failed to build on his big home run last year and looked lost in the batter's box before being demoted.

All of that has led to both center field and right field being a work-in-progress for the Guardians, which is where Mullins could enter the picture.

Why Mullins fits the bill

The 30-year-old has the profile of an everyday starting outfielder on just about any team in MLB.

He's slashed .248/.317/.422 for a .738 OPS across his 777 career games, and emerged as a key player for an Orioles team that built itself up from the embers of a drastic rebuild.

His best season came in 2021 when he slugged 30 home runs en route to an All-Star game appearance. He's hit at least 15 home runs in every season since, and seems destined to hit 18+ this year.

He's mired in a career-worst year (213/.294/.395) but part of that can be chalked up to the Orioles struggles this year. He seems like the stereotypical "change of scenery" candidate, and Cleveland could be the place for him to go.

On Wednesday, Mullins showed the Guardians exactly how he could help them win when he scooped a Slade Cecconi curveball into right field for a double in Cleveland's win over Baltimore. While it didn't result in the Orioles scoring, it was a vintage at-bat for Mullins.

It also helps that he's an impending free agent, which would make him even more obtainable.

At worst, he would be a rental who could help stabilize the offense and give a bit of veteran leadership. At best, he could become a guy who the team invests in as a piece next to the ever-so-reliable Steven Kwan.

Trade Cost For Mullins

Acquiring Mullins would be a cost-controlled move for the Guardians.

He is currently on an affordable one-year, $8.7 million dollar deal, and Baltimore is unlikely to demand any high-level prospects in return. While the Orioles are selling, Cleveland could throw a middle-of-the-road prospect into trade talks to solidify the deal.

One player that stands out to fit the bill in Baltimore is LHP Parker Messick, who is currently pitching in Triple. The 24-year-old was taken in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft and has worked his way toward being an MLB-ready reliever.

He's currently ranked as the team's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and recently started for the American League in the Futures Game.

The Guardians could also throw in a lower-level lottery ticket prospect in the deal as well, though it remains to be seen if the Orioles would be interested in that since they plan on competing next year.

As the deadline nears, the Guardians face a pretty big decision on what they want to do. Will they buy and raise their ceiling ahead of the playoffs or sit back and start preparing for next year?

Either way, Mullins' positives outweigh the negatives, and he would help the Guardians fill an obvious hole on the roster.