Mullins to Mets, O'Hearn and Laureano to Padres as O's replenish farm

CHICAGO -- For much of July, the Trade Deadline loomed over the Orioles, whose disappointing season made them likely sellers. The final days leading up to Thursday featured a few minor moves, but the club still had most of its major trade chips entering Deadline Day.

Would Baltimore trade core players such as center fielder Cedric Mullins and All-Star designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn? Quality veteran contributors like outfielder Ramón Laureano and right-hander Charlie Morton? Could even a player not on an expiring contract -- such as infielder Ramón Urías -- be moved?

Yes, yes and yes.

ORIOLES-PADRES TRADE DETAILS
Orioles get: LHP Boston Bateman (San Diego’s No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), INF Cobb Hightower (No. 6), RHP Tyson Neighbors (No. 12), INF/OF Victor Figueroa (No. 29), INF Brandon Butterworth, RHP Tanner Smith
Padres get: 1B/DH Ryan O’Hearn, OF Ramón Laureano

An eventful Thursday for the O’s (50-59) featured five trades, boosting their total for the month to eight. The biggest of the day occurred when O’Hearn and Laureano were packaged together and sent to the Padres in exchange for six prospects.

The most emotional of the day came when Mullins -- the longest-tenured Orioles player, who had spent his entire eight-year MLB career in Baltimore -- was dealt to the Mets for a trio of pitching prospects. Mullins had been a leader for the franchise as the only remaining player who debuted in the big leagues before Mike Elias was hired as general manager in November 2018.

ORIOLES-METS TRADE DETAILS
Orioles get: RHP Anthony Nunez (Mets’ No. 14 prospect), RHP Raimon Gomez (No. 30) and RHP Chandler Marsh
Mets get: CF Cedric Mullins

Meanwhile, Urías (Astros), right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge (Cubs) and Morton (Tigers) were each moved in trades that yielded one Minor Leaguer in return.

In all, the Orioles’ July fire sale included the acquisition of 15 players and one 2025 MLB Draft pick -- the No. 37 overall selection that was used on high school outfielder Slater de Brun. Only one among that group has even reached Triple-A -- right-hander Cameron Foster, who came over from the Mets in the Gregory Soto trade last Friday.

So even though Baltimore intends to return to postseason contention in 2026, many of the players it landed in Deadline deals are unlikely to reach the big leagues until ’27 or later.

It’s clear the O’s wanted to take advantage of being sellers by replenishing a farm system that had promoted many top-ranked prospects in recent years. They were successful in doing so.

Here’s the breakdown of Thursday’s trades:

O'Hearn, Laureano depart
O’Hearn (.283/.374/.463 slash line in 94 games) and Laureano (.290/.355/.529 in 82 games) had been two of Baltimore’s best players this season. The O’s got a much larger return by pairing them together and raiding the Padres’ high-potential farm system.

All six players sent from San Diego to Baltimore in the deal were 2024 Draft picks. Bateman (second round), Hightower (third) and Neighbors (fourth) have the highest ceilings in the group.

It will likely take a little while for these players to reach the big leagues. But they could all eventually be impactful once they arrive.

Mullins' tenure ends
It likely will be difficult for many Orioles fans to say goodbye to Mullins. He recorded the only 30-30 season in team history, in 2021, when he recorded 30 home runs and 30 steals while being named an All-Star and winning an American League Silver Slugger Award. The 30-year-old also has a long highlight reel of incredible catches he made for Baltimore.

But like O’Hearn and Laureano, Mullins can become a free agent after the season. So the O’s found it worthwhile to move him and add a trio of intriguing arms to their system.

Nunez has the best all-around arsenal, with the 24-year-old’s slider and changeup (60 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale) headlining a mix that allowed him to record a 2.10 ERA in 22 relief outings for Double-A Binghamton this year. But Gomez throws the hardest, as the 23-year-old’s 80-grade fastball has been clocked as high as 104 mph.

Morton/Urías/Kittredge trades
Like the Urías and Kittredge deals earlier in the day -- the news of which each broke late Wednesday night/in the wee hours of Thursday morning before becoming official on Thursday -- the Morton trade yielded one player in return.

ORIOLES-TIGERS TRADE BREAKDOWN
Orioles get: LHP Micah Ashman
Tigers get: RHP Charlie Morton

Morton’s first season in Baltimore (and his 18th in the big leagues) will end with him joining another new team in Detroit. Ashman is a 2024 11th-round Draft pick who has pitched well this year. The 22-year-old recorded 1.60 ERA in 28 relief outings for High-A West Michigan before tossing three scoreless innings over two appearances for Double-A Erie.