Orioles Have Appealing Prospect to Replace Star Outfielder if Traded

With the 2025 season being a complete failure so far for the Baltimore Orioles, the time is approaching quickly to start thinking about 2026.

The Orioles have been one of the biggest disappointments of the year so far in the Majors. After two excellent campaigns in a row, which resulted in the most regular season wins in the American League during that span, the franchise now has one of the worst records in baseball.

As June approaches, there doesn’t appear to be any improvement coming from Baltimore, and the franchise is going to have to pivot their plans.

Coming into the season, this was a team that figured to be on the rise with a plethora of young talent. However, injuries and some poor decisions by the front office have resulted in the team struggling to compete now.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Orioles would be wise to have a fire sale at this point and move on from multiple players who are going to be free agents at the end of the year.

Despite their overall struggles, there are some desirable trade assets on the team, most notably a good outfielder.

Who Will End Up Replacing Star Outfielder if Traded?

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about the Orioles already having their replacement for center fielder Cedric Mullins ready if they end up trading him.

“Mullins is finally in his walk year, and the Orioles have their future center fielder, prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr., in position to take over the position as soon as next year," he wrote.

It has been a really strong campaign thus far for Mullins, but even his play hasn’t been enough to carry this lineup. So far in 2025, he has slashed .229/.323/.459 with 10 home runs, 31 RBI, and seven stolen bases.

The talented outfielder would have no shortage of potential suitors if Baltimore elected to trade him, and that appears to be the best course of action for the team.

If the Orioles end up moving him, they do have a potential replacement ready to go in Bradfield.

The former first-round pick of the 2023 MLB draft is currently in Double-A and performing quite well. He has slashed .375/.459/.531 with four stolen bases in nine games so far.

Even though he might not be ready for a call-up in 2025, he makes sense as the future of the position to begin 2026.

With Baltimore going in the wrong direction, moving on from tradeable assets like Mullins makes a lot of sense, especially if a potential replacement is already identified.