Rangers could add perfect center field replacement if Orioles become deadline sellers

Every team has a handful of guys scattered throughout the league who just seem to have their number. Whenever they face you, they magically conjure up Ted Williams-like ability and make your life miserable. The Texas Rangers are no different.

This season, the Rangers have already seen a lot of two of those guys in Seattle's Cal Raleigh and Boston's Wilyer Abreu. Well, there is a real possibility that they could snag a perennial thorn in their side if the struggling Baltimore Orioles decide to bail on the season and cut loose a veteran due a hefty raise.

The Rangers could go get Cedric Mullins if the Orioles are sellers

Speedy Oriole center fielder Cedric Mullins has done horrible things to the Texas Rangers since he became a regular in 2021. In 25 career games against them, he has 5 homers and 16 RBIs. If you extrapolate that out over 162 games, it comes to 32 homers, 104 RBIs - both are well above his career averages. So if you can't beat him, then why don't you bring him in, slap a Rangers uniform on him, and kill two birds with one stone?

Mullins is currently on a one-year deal with Baltimore that will earn him $8,725,000, but he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and, at just 30 years old, will demand a hefty raise and a multi-year deal.

The Orioles are off to a dreadful start that has seen them sink all the way to the bottom of the competitive AL East with a record of 13-23 with a run differential of -69. It's no secret that he Orioles have pitching problems as their staff has given up an American League high 203 runs.

Mullins is off to a good start this year with 7 dingers, 21 runs batted, an OPS of .805, and 5 stolen bases. The Orioles are going to have to pony up to keep their young core of talented offensive players, and that could mean that if they are out of contention early, they might be willing to part with Mullins. They are already 7.5 games out of first place, just over a month into the season.

The rangy Mullins would be an upgrade over Leody Taveras and Evan Carter, giving the Rangers a legitimate all-star caliber player to lead the outfield. It's a position that has been problematic for the organization seemingly forever. Taveras had just set the Rangers' record for games played by a center fielder days before he was waived. That is hard to believe, but how many past Ranger center fielders can you name off the top of your head?

It's something worth keeping an eye on as the team is going to need to bring in another productive bat if they want to make a serious run at another World Series championship this season