Guardians Linked to All-Star Trade With Floundering AL Team

The Cleveland Guardians remain in playoff contention in spite of some very rough stretches throughout the 2025 MLB season, which has many wondering what they will do at the MLB trade deadline.

The Guardians are currently below .500, so you would think they would sell, but they are actually still smack dab in the middle of the American League Wild Card race.

As a result, there are some who believe Cleveland may try to bolster its lineup before July 31, and Cade Cracas of Away Back Gone has linked the Guardians to one player in particular: Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins.

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

A former All-Star, Mullins is expected to be dealt at the deadline due to the fact that the Orioles are out of the playoff hunt and the 30-year-old is a free agent at the end of the year. He is slashing .219/.297/.409 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI over 338 plate appearances in 2025.

Would Mullins comprise a top-tier addition? No, but have you seen the production from the Guardians' outfielder this season? Outside of Kwan, it isn't pretty, and Mullins would still represent an upgrade, even if he only owns a .705 OPS.

The Greensboro, N.C. native also wouldn't be too costly in a trade because of his impending free agency, so Cleveland may be able to nab him on the cheap.

Of course, whether or not the Guardians would even want to be bothered trading for someone they almost certainly won't retain after 2025 is the real question.

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