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Phillies Linked to Non-Luis Robert Trade to Replace Johan Rojas With All-Star

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive at the trade deadline, and with a 49-35 record and only 1.5 games ahead of the New York Mets and other teams in the loaded National League East, there's no reason for them not to be.

It's been stated many times before, but if Dave Dombrowski doesn't find a legitimate center fielder to help this team win a World Series during the second half of the season, it'd be tough to justify bringing him back, despite many viewing him as one of the better executives around the league.

The Phillies have been linked to Louis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox on multiple occasions and have also shown interest in Cedric Mullins, according to reports.

CBS Sports recently linked them to Mullins again on Monday, this time listing them as a potential landing spot for the star outfielder in a proposed trade idea.

“He's lost a step as he's aged into his 30s -- hey, doesn't everyone? -- but that hasn't stopped the Orioles from keeping him in center field (and allowing him to amass some unflattering public-facing defensive marks). What will teams make of all this? Is Mullins a steady league-average or better player or someone whose game might already be showing cracks? Stay tuned to find out. Potential landing spots: Padres, Phillies, Guardians,” they wrote.

Mullins is a very good player, at times.

Unlike Robert, he's probably a bit better, given that he stays on the field and has produced a bit more throughout his career.

Mullins isn't exactly the best, posting a career OPS+ of 107. Outside of the 2021 campaign, when he earned his lone All-Star nod and posted a 137 OPS+, he has been rather average.

However, there have been other periods throughout his career where he has shown to be a decent player, so if he can string that together for an extended period in Philadelphia, he'd be a great addition.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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