The New York Mets, one of many teams in need of an outfielder at the MLB trade deadline, decided to land Baltimore Orioles veteran Cedric Mullins to be their new center fielder.
Aside from Mullins, the rest of the outfield market didn't come to fruition, as Steven Kwan and Luis Robert Jr. were both not dealt. However, an outfielder that was actually dealt, Harrison Bader, would've been the perfect addition for the Mets.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post revealed that the Mets, despite needing a center fielder and having limited options at the position, had no real interest in Bader. That decision, to pass on Bader for Mullins, has backfired and is coming back to haunt them.
The Mets' decision to go with Cedric Mullins over Harrison Bader backfired
Heyman reports that,"...the Mets made little to no effort for Bader." That decision, to not reunite with Bader and instead land Mullins, hasn't worked out for the Mets.
In the 37 games played for the Mets this season, Mullins has a .191 batting average with a .595 OPS. He's notched just 21 hits, 16 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, two home runs, and nine RBIs.
Bader, across 41 games since being traded by the Minnesota Twins, has a .331 batting average with an .889 OPS. He's also had 47 hits, 26 runs scored, 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 15 RBIs, and has accumulated 1.5 WAR compared to Mullins' 0.6 WAR.
To make matters worse, Bader went to the Philadelphia Phillies. Not only did the Mets pass up on the chance to land Bader, but he's now on a division rival and thriving, while their deadline pickup has struggled.
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Adding insult to injury is Bader's production against the Mets. He has a .528 batting average, going 19 for 36, with a 1.342 OPS against the Mets this season. He helped the Phillies sweep the Mets in Philadelphia during a four-game sweep, cementing the Phillies as the NL-East champions.
While Mullins has provided some value for the Mets, the missed opportunity with Bader is a frustrating reality. Last season, he was a part of the Mets' postseason run, hitting .236 with a .657 OPS. Not great, but not terrible either. But, his .222 OPS in the postseason might've been what done the Mets in, and led the team to go elsewhere at the deadline.
It's been a move that, just like the Ryan Helsley trade, hasn't worked out. They are in danger of falling out of the postseason if they struggle down the final nine games of the 2025 season.
As the season comes to a close, the Mets certainly could've used a player like Bader in their outfield. Bader might be a core piece of the Phillies' postseason run, and the Mets passed on the chance to acquire him completely, as they had no interest in the breakout outfielder at the trade deadline this season.
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