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Padres trade idea replaces Jason Heyward with $56 million All-Star

The San Diego Padres may be in the market for an outfielder near the trade deadline. They could target an All-Star slated for free agency after the season.

Jason Heyward had been the primary left fielder for the Padres this year. However, he was struggling offensively and is now on the injured list with an oblique strain. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson tabbed Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles as a potential fit for the team near the trade deadline.

“Mullins is in the midst of his most productive season since 2021 (when he finished ninth in MVP Award voting) despite a Baseball Savant page that’s bluer than the Tick,” wrote Anderson. “He’s mastered the art of pulling the ball in the air, allowing him to outslug his meager exit velocities, and he’s successfully stolen bases at an 80% clip for his career. He’s also walking more than normal, having reduced his swing rate to a full-season low. What it comes down to, then, is how teams view his defense. A club who believes he’s at least average in center could view him as a comfortably above-average talent nearing his date with free agency. “

Mullins is hitting just .232 but has a .771 OPS. Even though his batting average is low, he is still better than what the team was getting out of Heyward. The Orioles’ season is practically a lost cause, so trading Mullins should be on the table.

He will hit free agency after the season and Spotrac projects him to earn a four-year, $56 million on the open market. If the Orioles do not see him in their future plans, trading him would be wise. He was an All-Star and a Silver Slugger in 2021, but with free agency looming his trade value is not as high as in the past.

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Mullins has 10 home runs and 31 RBIs this season. He could give the Padres a new everyday player in the outfield as they chase the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Padres may have to shuffle their outfield alignment to make it happen, but it would not be difficult.

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