Orioles' secret weapon is righty reliever Mets surely regret trading for Cedric Mullins
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Orioles' secret weapon is righty reliever Mets surely regret trading for Cedric Mullins originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Baltimore Orioles made a lot of moves in the past year, but sneakily, one of their best was a trade-deadline deal with the New York Mets.
Last July, they sent Cedric Mullins to the Mets in exchange for three righty pitchers, and of those pitchers, one has already emerged as a secret weapon for the Orioles.
As Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly notes, righty reliever Anthony Nunez is the Orioles' "best kept secret" after his strong start to 2026. The Mets surely regret this trade, as Mullins didn't last long and didn't even help them make the playoffs.
Orioles Anthony Nunez is 'best-kept secret' on O's roster
"As the Orioles try to build their bullpen around closer Ryan Helsley, Anthony Nunez is going to be a name to watch for Craig Albernaz's club," Kelly writes.
The Orioles acquired Nunez from the Mets thanks to the 2025 trade deadline move, which sent Mullins to the Mets in exchange for Nunez, righty Raimon Gomez, and righty Chandler Marsh.
And now, Nunez is looking like a major steal for the Orioles, and their new secret weapon out of the bullpen with another former Mets pitcher in Ryan Helsley taking over the closer role.
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Nunez has a 3.60 ERA in five innings pitched this season. The 24-year-old righty is just starting out in his career, and he's looking good thus far.
In five spring training outings, he didn't allow a single run. He's still progressing as a Major Leaguer, but so far, things have gone very well for the Orioles young righty acquired from the Mets.
The Mets surely could've used Nunez, especially after they lost Edwin Diaz this offseason. Even though he's a work in progress, Nunez has already shown a ton of potential.
He's a great reliever for the Orioles, and someone Baltimore is very fortunate to have on the roster. And with his addition coming at the cost of a few months of Mullins, it's an even better deal for the Orioles.
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