The Rays have spent most of the season looking like one of baseball’s best clubs, but not every move has paid off. Cedric Mullins, the veteran outfielder Tampa Bay brought in on a one-year, $7 million deal with a 2027 mutual option, has given the team far less than it hoped for.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle singled Mullins out Tuesday as the Rays’ biggest disappointment of the year.
"I'll go with the hitting of Cedric Mullins, whose 70 OPS+ over enough plate appearances that he's likely to qualify for the batting title has been a real lineup hole," Doolittle wrote.
The numbers back up that assessment. Mullins, a 2021 All-Star, is hitting .202/.284/.342 with 14 home runs and a .626 OPS. He has still offered value on the bases, going 19-for-28 in stolen-base attempts.
But the broader picture has been ugly. Doolittle noted that Mullins has not produced at home or on the road, against lefties or righties, or in either half of the season.
"As good as Mullins has been in the past, he hasn't hit this season at home or on the road, against lefties or righties, in the first half or the second half. To his credit, Mullins has played solid defense, but beyond that, his first Tampa Bay season has been rough," Doolittle added.
Tampa Bay’s overall run has masked the problem. The Rays lead the Yankees by 3.5 games with 13 games left in the regular season, and a four-game set with New York is still on deck next week. Junior Caminero has been the loud offensive star, hitting 40 or more homers for the second straight season, while the pitching staff has also carried its weight.
Mullins’ slump has not knocked the Rays off course, but it may leave Tampa Bay - or someone else - thinking twice before using him as a starter or even a fourth outfielder.
In Other News...
Rays Move On From Pitcher Still Trying To Rebound From Surgery
The Rays have made another roster move involving a pitcher still working his way back from surgery, with right-hander Michael Grove claimed off waivers by Atlanta and sent to Triple-A Gwinnett. Tampa Bay had designated Grove for assignment earlier, and he had spent time pitching in both the majors and minors this season as he tried to regain his footing after the operation.
Atlantas interest was practical as much as anything else, coming as the Braves look for extra pitching depth amid injuries in their rotation. For Tampa Bay, it is another reminder of how quickly the back end of a roster can turn over, especially with pitchers who are still in the middle of a recovery and trying to prove they can hold up again at the big-league level. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Quietly Added A New Arm And The Bullpen Implications Matter
The Rays were busy shuffling the board before their three-game series against the Athletics, and one of the more notable moves came on the pitching side with right-hander Michael Grove being claimed off waivers by Atlanta. Tampa Bay also had to adjust its own bullpen depth, placing Tyler Wells on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness, a move that closes the book on his regular season and forces the club to lean on the next layer of arms.
Alex Cook was recalled from Triple-A Durham to fill Wells spot, while Jake Fraley was activated from the 60-day injured list and catcher Kenny Piper was optioned to Durham. For a team that has long valued flexibility and depth, the sequence matters because every late-season pitching move can ripple forward, and the Rays now have to manage one more bullpen absence as they try to keep things steady over the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Boyle Is Starting To Look Like A Rays Development Win
Joe Boyle arrived in Tampa Bay as part of the trade that sent Jeffrey Springs to Oakland, and the early returns are starting to look a lot like the kind of pitching project the Rays have made their reputation on. Boyle has tightened up his command since joining the club, and the changes go beyond simple mechanical cleanup. His delivery has been adjusted, his pitch mix has been refined, and the organization has helped him turn his cut-slider into a firmer offering that plays with more purpose.
The result has been a more efficient version of a pitcher who once fought his own strikes as much as the opposition. Boyles recent appearances have shown fewer walks and a better ability to get pitches into the zone, which is exactly the sort of progress Tampa Bay was hoping to unlock when it brought him in. There is still plenty of runway left here, but the early signs suggest the Rays may have found another arm worth developing. [Read more 🡒]