Cedric Mullins’ short stay in Queens did not yield the results the Mets were hoping for.
The Mets acquired Mullins from the Orioles just before the trade deadline last July, shipping three prospects to Baltimore in exchange for the veteran outfielder.
The 31-year-old admitted that leaving the Orioles after a decade in the organization was a difficult adjustment.
“It hit me pretty hard having to uplift your whole life,” Mullins said Wednesday during an appearance on “Foul Territory.”
“Especially in New York, where things can be hectic day to day. There were definitely a lot of changes and adjustments that had to be made, on top of trying to perform at your best.”
Acquired to strengthen center field after Jose Siri’s knee injury — and Tyrone Taylor’s subpar performance — the Mets hoped Mullins could recapture some of his 2021 All-Star form, when he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases.
Even his first-half performance at Baltimore — a .229/.305/.433 slash line with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs — would have been a strong upgrade for New York.
Instead, Mullins’ performance reflected the team’s late-season collapse; he made some costly mistakes on defense while hitting just .182 with two home runs and 10 RBIs, spending most of September on the bench.
“Foul Territory” co-host and former MLB catcher Erik Kratz asked Mullins if he felt pressure to play differently when he joined the Mets.
“In some cases, yes,” Mullins said. “There were some talented guys that I didn’t feel like I had to come in and be something that I wasn’t at all.
“I was just trying to complement what the team already had and that may have put some pressure on me to do a little too much for what was already a good team, but in the end that fell through.”
Despite standout individual seasons from Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and the now departed Pete Alonso, a series of pitching injuries led to a crushing end to the year, as the Mets missed the playoffs after losing on the final day of the season.
According to Mullins, the pitching woes especially had consequences for the Mets.
“After a week, two weeks, it feels pretty clear that the pitching was struggling,” Mulins added. “We had to try to come back late in a lot of games. When it comes in waves like that, it’s hard to fight back. Every now and then we had a moment where our arms dominated and the offense struggled to get it going.”
“When you have a roller coaster going back and forth, it’s hard to get momentum going for us, especially in a playoff run.”
In a transformative offseason for the Mets, a Mullins reunion wasn’t in the cards as he returned to the familiar AL East and signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rays.
Mullins said the Rays’ return to Tropicana Field in 2026 — after the team was relocated last season following Hurricane Milton — played a role in his decision.
“I saw what that schedule looked like for them last year,” Mullins said, referring to the team’s trajectory at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which has no roof. “They definitely experienced it.”
As for the Mets, the club has addressed the center field void by signing former All-Star Luis Robert Jr. this week. to acquire from the White Sox.
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