As the Fourth of July approaches, the Houston Astros sit atop the American League West. They have a 51-34 record. The Astros hold a seven-game cushion over the Mariners. With the summer heating up, so is the rumor mill with the Trade deadline coming in a few weeks. One recent rumor has the Astros connected with a former American League All-Star center fielder. The Astros current outfield includes Jake Myers in Center. Cam Smith plays in right field. Cooper Hummel fills in for Jacob Melton in Left field. Making a trade to upgrade the outfield with a veteran could certainly help the Astros.
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American League Outfielder
Cedric Mullins
Cedric Mullins leads the Baltimore Orioles in both home runs (12) and RBI (39) this year. Baltimore is struggling this season with a 37-48 record and sits dead last in the American League East. Mullins signed a one-year contract for the season worth just under nine million dollars. He would be a rental for the Astros and might not be overly expensive.
Mullins has played in 69 games for the Orioles this season and has three errors and a .983 fielding percentage. Offensively, his power numbers are there with his 12 home runs and 39 RBI. Mullins has scored 33 runs, hit 12 doubles, and stolen eight bases this year. He has a .214 batting average and a .701 OPS this year.
Fans of the Houston Astros might find Mullins hitting anywhere in the second half of the lineup for them. Mullins could slide right into the left field spot for the Astros.
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Cooper Hummel and Jacob Melton combined this season have two home runs and nine RBI. Even if you throw Chas McCormick into the mix, all you add is two more RBI. Of the three potential left field options for the Astros, only Chas McCormick has hit a double. He is the only one who has accomplished this. Only Chas McCormick has hit a double. He has hit two doubles this year. No wonder the Astros have been linked to this former All-Star outfielder from the American League. This is a glaring weakness on a very good Houston Astros baseball team right now.
