While it was a forgetful season in the standings for the Mission Viejo Maulers, GM Chris Ferraro certainly found gold on March 31st be landing a pair of players they hope springboard their window of contention starting in 2022.
One day before the start of the 2021 MLB season, and with a flurry of moves to make following three Draft Day trades, Ferraro utilized his 1st and 4th Free Agent Claim on Carlos Rodon and Cedric Mullins. While each can stake their claim as the top waiver claim of the season, Mullins' standout year ultimately won out making him the 2021 Free Agent Claim of the Year in the Roger Dorn Baseball League.
Mullins finished the 2021 Regular Season slashing .307/.369/.532 while filling up the stat sheet with 24 home runs, 30 doubles and 24 steals. His 414.5 points ranked 2nd among all hitters, trailing only RDBL Hitter of the Year Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.
With the Maulers out of contention, Mullins was used as trade bait for the Maulers who struck a deal with the Lake Merced Goutfish for injured star Ronald Acuña. Ferraro also used a standout season from Rodon to land Corey Seager, William Contreras and a 2022 1st Round pick from the Honolulu Hammerheads.
While Mullins and Rodon's success on the field didn't translate into a Playoff berth for the Maulers, Ferraro certainly looks to have utilized their surprise seasons to build top-end talent for 2022 as they look to return to their winning ways.
Media Voting: 1. OF Cedric Mullins (Maulers) 2. LHP Carlos Rodon (Maulers) 3. SP Luis Garcia (Devils)
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