The Baltimore Orioles traded Cedric Mullins to the Mets and Ramón Urías to the Astros in a 2025 deadline overhaul, acquiring a haul of pitching prospects.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
The Baltimore Orioles have officially closed one chapter and begun writing the next. In a dramatic trade deadline flurry, the team sent fan-favorite center fielder Cedric Mullins to the New York Mets and Gold Glove-winning infielder Ramón Urías to the Houston Astros. The moves signal a profound shift, trading established major league talent for a massive infusion of high-upside minor league pitching, fundamentally reshaping the organization's future.
In a 24-hour span, the Orioles traded a fan-favorite All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, decisively pivoting from the present to stockpile the arms of the future.
The biggest news was the departure of Cedric Mullins, a cornerstone of the Orioles lineup, who was traded to the New York Mets for a trio of right-handed pitching prospects: Raimon Gomez, Chandler Marsh, and Anthony Nunez. Mullins, with his 15 home runs and 49 RBI, leaves a significant void. The Orioles also sent versatile infielder and 2022 Gold Glove winner Ramón Urías to the Houston Astros in exchange for another young arm, right-hander Twine Palmer. These trades mark the end of an era for two key contributors to the Orioles' recent resurgence.
In return for their veterans, the Orioles received a haul of promising arms. The headliner is 23-year-old Raimon Gomez, whose electric fastball has been clocked at over 103.4 mph multiple times this season. He's joined by Chandler Marsh (22), who has dominated minor league hitters with a 2.57 ERA and a minuscule .133 opponent batting average, and the projectable Anthony Nunez (21). From the Astros, Twine Palmer (20) brings a polished record from Single-A, posting a 2.13 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 42.1 innings. This is a clear organizational bet on high-velocity, high-potential pitching.
These trades amplify an already positive trend in the Orioles' farm system. Bolstered by a strong 2025 MLB Draft class that included first-round pick Ike Irish, the O's system had already vaulted from No. 29 to No. 18 in Bleacher Report's rankings. Adding four more quality arms only deepens that talent pool. The focus is clearly on building a sustainable winner from the ground up, mirroring the strategy that built the last contender by stockpiling talent like top performer Samuel Basallo.
With Mullins and Urías gone, a new-look Orioles squad (50-59) faces a tough test tonight against the Chicago Cubs (63-45) at Wrigley Field. The challenge is immense, as the O's have gone 3-7 in their last 10 and face a Cubs team strong at home. The spotlight now shifts squarely to players like Gunnar Henderson to lead the offense and for younger players to seize the opportunities created by the trades. The game offers the first glimpse of life after the deadline and who is ready to step up in a reshaped lineup.
The Orioles have made their strategy for the rest of 2025 crystal clear: it's all about development and evaluation. While the present may be painful for fans watching a struggling team part with beloved players, the front office has placed a massive bet on building a sustainable pitching pipeline for the future. The next two months will be a crucial test, not of the big league club's win-loss record, but of the organization's ability to develop the immense potential it just acquired.
