Orioles fans have been pining for long-term extensions for some of their young core, but thus far theres been little indication that theyre pursuing such commitments. Part of that stemmed from the fact that the franchise was up for sale. Were now more than a year into David Rubensteins tenure as Orioles owner, and while theyve spent more money on the whole, its primarily been on one-year deals for free agents. ( s three-year deal is a notable exception, though that contains an opt-out clause after the 2025 season and thus could end being a one-year deal as well. Ryan Loutos Jersey ) General manager Mike Elias commented on the matter yesterday, suggesting hed be more revelatory on the subject of extensions than in the past, but still spoke in generalities ( ). This is something were working on, Elias said to the Orioles beat. Theres guys on this team that we would like to have on this team longer than theyre currently slated for. Its not a point-and-shoot thing. Its case by case. Theres different players, different skill levels, different representatives, different philosophies around how to handle players at different age levels. Theres only so much I can say about it other than its something we want to do if it makes sense, that we are working on it and if it happens, well be out here talking about it. A large portion of the focus on potential extension candidates in Baltimore centers around young stars like , and and understandably so. But the Orioles longest-tenured player and a cornerstone throughout their rise from rebuilder to contender in the AL East is in the final year of club control and would stand as a logical extension candidate himself, at least on paper. Agent Robin Cope that the team has not broached the po sibility of an extension, even though Mullins himself wishes they would. Mullins himself followed up on Copes comments. Asked today by the Os beat about his agents statement ( ), Mullins replied: One hundred percent. Just being drafted by Baltimore and just knowing what Baltimore and the city offered me and my family over the course of my career has been nothing short of amazing. So to have those negotiations take place, its all in timing. But right now, focused on the day-to-day of bringing wins to the clubhouse. The 30-year-old Mullins has spent his entire career with the Orioles organization, dating back to his selection in the 13th round of the 2015 draft. Though he never garnered fanfare from national prospect rankings, he established himself as an All-Star caliber center fielder. Since cementing his place in the Orioles lineup back in 2020, Mullins is a .259/.327/.442 hitter. He peaked with a 30-30 season and .291/.360/.518 batting line in 2021, taking home a Silver Slugger Award and landing ninth in MVP voting during whats still the lone All-Star campaign of his career. Mullins may never get back to those heights again, but hes doing his best to get there with a ma sive start to his 2025 campaign: .300/.435/.620 with four homers, three steals and nearly as many walks (10) as strikeouts (11) through his first 62 turns at the plate. That builds off a big finish to his 2024 campaign. After a brutally slow start in April and May, Mullins regained his footing and finished as one of the most productive hitters in the American League. Over his past 370 plate appearances, hes batting .280/.371/.497 with 16 homers and 23 plate appearances. Looking back at recent extensions , there havent been too many examples of outfielders or position players in general signing extensions this close to free agency and at this age. s deal with the Dodgers (four years, $64.5MM in new money) stands as the most recent parallel. Stretching back a bit further, s first extension with the Rockies guaranteed him $94MM in new money over a five-year period. Free agency offers a few more points of comparison, but its increasingly rare for center fielders to make it to market before signing an extension. (five years, $82.5MM), (five years, $80MM) and (four years, $60MM) all signed for $15-16MM annual range, beginning with their age-31 seasons. Each of those contracts is more than five years old at this point, however. secured a weightier $19.5MM AAV on a four-year deal beginning with his age-33 season. s six-year, $150MM contract covers his age-31 through age-36 seasons, but was a more accomplished hitter than Mullins. Given the lack of discu sions to this point, it seems likely that Mullins will reach free agency. Hed be a clear candidate for a qualifying offer and would likely reject that one-year figure in search of a multi-year deal. The Os have , and perhaps ONeill all in the outfield mix beyond the current season, plus prospects Jr., and in the upper minors. That gives the team a good bit of outfield talent to build around if Mullins departs. In order to keep him, theyd surely need to spend well beyond their recent comfort levels. Baltimore hasnt given out a contract worth more than $50MM since signing back in 2018, under not only a different owner but also a different front office regime. Carlos Martinez Jersey