The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with free-agent center fielder Cedric Mullins, pending a physical. The deal aims to bolster the Rays' outfield production after a down year in 2025. Mullins, 31, joins from the New York Mets, where he struggled following a midseason trade from the Baltimore Orioles.
Tampa Bay is looking to upgrade its outfield this offseason, and the addition of Cedric Mullins addresses a key area of need. According to reports from MLB.com and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the agreement was reached on Wednesday, though the Rays have not officially confirmed it. The club intends to slot the left-handed-hitting Mullins into center field, providing stability amid a crowded roster that includes Jonny DeLuca, Josh Lowe, Jake Fraley, Chandler Simpson, Jake Mangum, Richie Palacios, and Ryan Vilade.
The Rays' outfield struggled in 2025, hitting just 29 home runs—the fewest in the majors—with a .663 OPS ranking 26th. Defensively, they placed 20th in outs above average at minus-9. DeLuca, a potential starter, missed nearly the entire season due to shoulder and leg injuries, forcing the team to rely on Kameron Misner, Simpson, and Mangum in center, with mixed results.
Mullins brings veteran experience and elite defense, posting a +4 OAA in 2025 and grading as a plus defender every year since his 2018 debut with the Orioles. Offensively, he peaked in 2021 with a .291/.360/.518 slash line, 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases, an All-Star nod, and a Silver Slugger award. However, his production dipped over the next four seasons to .237/.308/.403 with a 102 OPS+.
In 2025, Mullins hit .229/.305/.433 with Baltimore before the July 31 trade to the Mets for three minor leaguers. With New York, he slashed .182/.284/.281 over 42 games as the primary center fielder, contributing to an overall OPS+ of 94 in 133 games across both teams. Despite the slump, he has hit 15-18 homers annually since 2022 and stolen at least 19 bases each year, with sprint speed in the 77th percentile.
The Rays may trade an outfielder to resolve their depth, given interest from other clubs. Mullins' pull-and-elevate approach, with a career-high 29.6% pulled air-ball rate in 2025, could help him rebound in Tropicana Field.