Cedric Mullins Agrees to One-Year Deal with Rays, 2027 Option

The Tampa Bay Rays just made a calculated bet on upside and experience, bringing in veteran center fielder Cedric Mullins on a one-year deal with a 2027 mutual option.

It’s classic Rays stuff—buy low on a proven All-Star after a down year, hoping his power, speed, and defense can anchor the middle of the diamond.

Cedric Mullins Joins Rays on Short-Term Deal With Future Flexibility

The Rays signed Cedric Mullins to a one-year, $7.5 million contract. They’re clearly thinking about both immediate impact and future options here.

This contract follows Tampa Bay’s usual playbook: keep payroll tight, but pay for upside when it’s obvious.

Breaking Down Mullins’ Contract Details

The deal isn’t just a simple one-year flyer. Tampa Bay added layers of control and insurance in case Mullins bounces back to his best form.

The contract includes:

• One-year deal for the 2025 season at $7.5 million.
• A guaranteed $7 million salary for 2026, locking him in for at least two years.
• A mutual option for 2027 at $10 million, giving both sides a say down the road.
• A $500,000 buyout if either party walks away from the 2027 option.

To clear a 40-man roster spot, the Rays designated right-hander Yoniel Curet for assignment. It’s a procedural move, but it shows how much they value Mullins’ upside.

Mullins’ Recent Performance: A Roller-Coaster Season

Mullins comes to St. Pete after a bumpy 2025 split between the Orioles and Mets. The stats are a mixed bag—honestly, not all good—but they do scream “bounce-back candidate,” which the Rays always seem to love.

Offensive Struggles in 2025

He played 133 games last season, hitting just .216 with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs. The power numbers were fine for a center fielder, but that batting average really dipped below his career marks.

The second half got even rougher. After the Mets picked him up at the July 31 deadline, Mullins never really found his groove:

• .182 average in 42 games with New York
• Just 2 home runs and 10 RBIs as a Met

For a guy known for mixing contact, pop, and speed, those numbers are a big drop-off. But if you’re the Rays, you’re probably seeing a market inefficiency just waiting to be exploited.

The All-Star Ceiling: Why the Rays Are Betting on Mullins

What makes this move interesting isn’t who Mullins was last year—it’s who he’s been at his peak. Tampa Bay isn’t just paying for a 2025 stat line; they’re betting on a track record that includes flashes of something special.

The 2021 Breakout and Career Production

His 2021 All-Star season still stands out as one of the most electric by any center fielder in recent memory. That year, he absolutely broke out:

• .291 batting average
• 30 home runs
• 30 stolen bases

That 30–30 season? It showed off his full toolset—power, speed, and game-changing defense in center. He hasn’t quite matched that since, but the flashes are still there.

Across eight big league seasons with the Orioles and Mets, Mullins holds a:

• .247 career batting average
• 103 home runs
• 337 RBIs

He even drove in a career-high 74 RBIs in 2023, proving he can still produce runs even when the average isn’t there. That mix of steady production and unrealized potential is what draws the Rays in every time.

How Mullins Fits the Rays’ Blueprint

From a roster-building perspective, Mullins checks a lot of Rays boxes: versatility, defense, and the chance to outperform his contract if he gets anywhere near his 2021 self.

Center Field Stability and Lineup Flexibility

Mullins, a 31-year-old left-handed hitting center fielder, gives the Rays a seasoned option up the middle. He can handle spacious outfields and brings some balance to a right-handed-heavy lineup.

Even if his bat doesn’t fully bounce back, his defense and speed still offer value. If Tampa Bay’s coaching and analytics staff can help him find something closer to his All-Star form, this deal could go down as one of the more shrewd pickups of the offseason.

It’s an affordable, short-term commitment, and there’s a built-in path to a longer partnership with that 2027 mutual option. For now, Tampa Bay’s added a former All-Star with a 30–30 season on his résumé at a price and structure that just feels very Rays.

The question heading into 2026: can Cedric Mullins rediscover that level in a Rays uniform? Nobody’s really sure, but it’s going to be interesting to watch.

 
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