Cedric Mullins shares how the Mets trade affected him as he discusses the 2025 downfall.

Cedric Mullins’ Time with the Mets Falls Short

Cedric Mullins had a brief and unproductive time with the Mets, not meeting the expectations that the team had hoped for.

The Mets brought Mullins over from the Orioles right before the trade deadline last July, giving up three promising prospects to get him.

At 31, Mullins acknowledged that transitioning to a new team after a decade in Baltimore was challenging for him.

“It took a pretty big hit because I had to uplift my whole life,” he shared on “Foul Territory” Wednesday.

Living in New York, he noted, can be quite hectic. “We’ve definitely had to make a lot of changes and adjustments to perform at our best,” he added.

The Mets acquired Mullins to stabilize the center field position after Jose Siri’s injury and Tyron Taylor’s struggles. They were optimistic that he could return to the standout form he showcased during his 2021 All-Star season, where he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases.

Even his first-half stats from Baltimore (.229/.305/.433, 15 home runs, and 49 RBIs) would have been a significant improvement for New York.

However, his performance mirrored the team’s late-season decline. He managed just a .182 average, with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs, and made several key defensive errors while often finding himself on the bench in September.

Erik Kratz, co-host of “Foul Territory” and a former MLB catcher, inquired whether Mullins felt any extra pressure when joining the Mets.

“In some cases, yes,” Mullins responded, explaining that with so much talent already on the roster, he didn’t feel the need to change who he was drastically. “I was just trying to complement what the team already had. That may have put pressure on us to do a little bit too much for an already good team that fell at the end.”

Even though players like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and the departed Pete Alonso had solid seasons, injuries plagued the pitching staff and the Mets faced a devastating loss on the final day, missing out on the playoffs as a result.

Mullins mentioned that poor pitching had a significant impact on the team. “After a week, two weeks, it was obvious that the pitching was struggling,” he explained. “Many games required us to try and come back in the second half. It’s hard to do that when it hits us in waves. There were times our pitchers were great, and our offense just couldn’t get anything going.”

He noted, “It’s hard to build momentum, especially in the playoffs, when you’re on a roller coaster that comes and goes.”

Despite a transformative offseason for the Mets, a reunion with Mullins didn’t happen, as he ended up in the AL East again, signing a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rays.

Mullins pointed out that the Rays’ return to Tropicana Field in 2026 influenced his decision, especially after the team dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton last season.

“We saw what that schedule was like for them last year,” he remarked, referring to the challenges faced after the hurricane. “They certainly went through it.”