Astros offseason buzz is reviving one rumor fans moved on from

Before Dana Brown took an unorthodox approach at the MLB trade deadline, it seemed inevitable that Cedric Mullins was going to be patrolling the outfield for the Houston Astros during the closing months of the season.

The Astros needed an outfielder, and Mullins was being aggressively shopped by the Baltimore Orioles at the July 31 deadline. Fortunately for the Astros, the New York Mets acted first and swiped Mullins from the Orioles.

Considering his offensive numbers took a tailspin after the opening months of the season, the Astros' targeting Mullins at the deadline never quite made sense. Mullins' time with the Mets proved that the Astros dodged a major bullet. Sure, Jesus Sanchez was bad for the Astros, but Mullins wasn't any better with the Mets. He slashed just .182/.284/.281 to close out the season with a wRC+ of 66 and two home runs.

Astros rumors from July 31 trade deadline have resurfaced with latest Cedric Mullins prediction

It was more confirmation that the 31-year-old version of Mullins is not the same player who hit 31 home runs with the Orioles in 2021 while being an above-average fielder. Now, time has caught up with the veteran outfielder, and he is no longer the asset in the field he once was. Not to mention, there's been a clear regression in his offensive production.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter overlooks all of those red flags and circles Mullins as the key free agent the Astros need to target once the offseason officially begins. Reuter points out that the Astros will be in the market for an outfielder this winter, and Mullins could fill the void in left field.

The only real scenario where Mullins could make sense for the Astros would be if he were interested in taking a spot on the bench. Otherwise, if all things are equal, it would be a better gamble for the Astros to tender a contract to Sanchez than it would to bring Mullins in. Neither move should be made, and the hope is that Brown is aware of that fact.