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It is no secret that both the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles will likely be on the outside looking into the playoff picture in the American League. The two teams have not played well at all this season, especially Baltimore, which has the second-worst record in the American League, just a game behind the Chicago White Sox.
Due to their poor performance and small postseason chances, the Rays and Orioles have been listed by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter as the two teams that will be sellers at the trade deadline. Tampa Bay's Pete Fairbanks and Baltimore's Cedric Mullins have been listed as the two most likely players to be traded from within the division.
Both have been with their respective teams for their entire career, meaning a move to a different team would be a bit of an adjustment.
Fairbanks has this season and next season remaining, making him a prime trade candidate for a team looking for relief pitching help down the stretch. So far this season, he's throwing the ball well as he's pitched to a 2.65 ERA across 17 innings and 18 appearances.
"Veterans Brandon Lowe ($10.5 million) and Yandy Díaz ($10 million) are both trade candidates for the Rays given their hefty salaries, but Fairbanks is the team's most attractive trade candidate. He has 56 saves in 65 chances since the start of the 2023 season, with a 3.01 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 10.7 K/9 in 113 appearances during that span. His $3.8 million salary this year will fit any team's budget, and he also has a reasonable $7 million club option for 2026," Reuter wrote.
Mullins on the other hand, could provide outfield defense and above average offensive production.
He has eight home runs, six doubles, 25 RBIs and a .781 OPS in 139 at-bats so far this season. In the early going, the average crept up right around .300, but Mullins has been in a bit of a funk lately. He was tabbed as a trade candidate earlier in the season, and it now appears that more people are beginning to think the same.
"A free agent at season's end, Mullins has a 124 OPS+ with seven home runs, 21 RBI and six steals in 37 games. He has recorded four straight seasons with at least 2.0 WAR and plays a solid defensive center field, which should make him a hot commodity on the open market," Reuter wrote.
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About the writer
Andrew Wright is a Newsweek contributor based in Lancaster, South Carolina. His focus is MLB content. Andrew has been with ... Read more