The Houston Astros have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball for most of the last decade, and they appear poised to make another run to the postseason in 2025. However, there is a lot of talent at the top of baseball right now, which will make the upcoming trade deadline a fascinating one as teams try to level up before the home stretch.

The Astros will certainly be one of those teams, while the Baltimore Orioles could go either way after a very disappointing start to the season. While the Orioles will likely hang onto all of their young talent, outfielder Cedric Mullins could be someone who is on the way out. The Astros could be in position to take advantage of that, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

“The Houston Astros are aggressively looking for a left-handed bat on the market, with eyes on Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins,” Nightengale wrote.

The Astros currently have a hole in the outfield and could use another lefty at the plate, and while Mullins is past his prime days he would still be a quality addition that would make the Houston lineup much deeper.

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The former All-Star has struggled mightily so far this season, batting just .210 in 66 games while hitting 12 home runs and driving in 38 runs. As a result, a change of scenery and a return to a team contending for a playoff spot could do him some good.

At the moment, the Orioles are in the basement of the AL East with a dreadful 35-47 record, which is far below their expectations after making the playoffs with such a young, promising core last season. Baltimore is 12 games back of the top spot in the division, so it might be a little early for it to punt on the season just yet. However, that time could be coming soon.

On the other hand, the Astros are looking very good and have built a 6.5-game lead in the AL West over the Seattle Mariners. Houston has done that thanks to a 7-3 stretch over their last 10 games and is playing some of its best baseball of the season at the moment.

While the Houston front office may be reluctant to make a change while the team is playing so well, taking a swing like adding Mullins is the kind of thing that has a chance to pay off in a big way in the long run.