MLB Insider Jon Heyman Reveals Major News Involving Phillies Mick Abel and Jean Cabrera After A Concise Decision
Heading into the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies held a narrow half-game lead over the New York Mets atop the National League East. Despite ongoing criticism of their bullpen and outfield performance, the Phillies have stayed among the top contenders in the NL.
With the MLB trade deadline approaching at the end of the month, Philadelphia is expected to be active in the trade market.
This week, MLB insider Jon Heyman proposed a major deal that would send three former All-Stars—closer Félix Bautista, reliever Gregory Soto, and center fielder Cedric Mullins—from the Baltimore Orioles to the Phillies. In exchange, Philadelphia would give up two prospects: Mick Abel and Jean Cabrera.
“Fans might be outraged if the Orioles part with Bautista, but Abel is a top-tier prospect,” Heyman noted (via sportsnaut.com). “If any team can afford to trade him, it’s the Phillies—especially with Andrew Painter expected to join what could be the league’s best rotation soon.”
The #Orioles are listening to trade offers on RHP Felix Bautista, per @Ken_Rosenthal
Bautista, 30, is under team control through the 2027 season. pic.twitter.com/mHiwfz1QT8
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) July 17, 2025
Thanks to their dominant starting rotation, the Phillies have the flexibility to trade from their pool of prospects. Mick Abel, ranked as Philadelphia’s fifth-best prospect and No. 86 overall in MLB’s top 100, and Jean Cabrera, the team’s No. 12 prospect, could be valuable trade chips.
Cedric Mullins and Gregory Soto are both on expiring contracts with the Orioles, while Félix Bautista is in the final season of a two-year deal but still has two years of arbitration left. In return for two short-term players and a closer with team control, the Orioles would gain two promising young pitchers. The main question is whether Baltimore would be willing to move Bautista, given his remaining years of team control.
For the Phillies, though, this potential deal would be a major win. Bautista would provide a much-needed anchor in the bullpen. He’s sporting a 2.41 ERA with 18 saves this season and appears to be back in All-Star form after recovering from injury.
Soto, meanwhile, is enjoying his best season since his All-Star campaigns in 2021 and 2022, posting a 3.74 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 33.2 innings. He’s also no stranger to Philadelphia, having pitched for the Phillies in 2023 and 2024 before being dealt to Baltimore at last year’s deadline.
Acquiring both Bautista and Soto in one move would be a huge boost for the Phillies’ bullpen. In center field, while Brandon Marsh is hitting a respectable .259, the tandem of Marsh and Johan Rojas hasn’t produced enough offensively—combining for just four home runs, 36 RBIs, and 92 strikeouts.
Though Mullins isn’t replicating his All-Star numbers this season, he’s still contributing in key areas. Despite a modest .218 batting average, he leads the Orioles with 13 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.
While this trade proposal involves several moving parts, it addresses all of Philadelphia’s key needs—and remarkably, they wouldn’t have to part with any of their top four prospects. Meanwhile, the Orioles would gain two talented young arms to further strengthen their youthful, promising roster.
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