A few thoughts on Rasmus and a logical replacement

I'm rejoining the Orioles later this afternoon in Minnesota and will experience the Colby Rasmus void up close and personal for the first time since he left the team.

Rasmus' comeback lasted 18 games. It started with him going 2-for-21 with 13 strikeouts, continued with a stop on the disabled list and ended with him batting .133 and informing manager Buck Showalter that he was done.

Showalter is keeping the conversation private and it's risky to poke fun at Rasmus or the situation without knowing what led to his departure. It was a family matter last summer that pulled him away from the Rays.

It's safe to assume that Rasmus no longer has a burning desire to play baseball. He gave it another try and again felt a tug.

The Orioles can move on seamlessly without him. He wasn't going to carry them into the playoffs and he didn't seem capable of going on a tear and becoming a trade chip. A divorce seemed inevitable as the Orioles began to peel veterans off the roster and gradually infuse younger players.

Let's face it, Rasmus actually did the club a favor by saving it the trouble of designating him later this summer and continuing to eat his salary. And hopefully he can truly start the next phase of his life and be happy.

Rasmus was a gamble from the outset due to his exit from the Rays last season and a procedure on his hip in October 2016 that still is impacting him. The Orioles continued to check on Jon Jay after agreeing to terms with Rasmus on a minor league deal, but he still wanted something around the MLBTradeRumors.com projection of $14 million over two years, according to an industry source. Jay finally accepted a $3 million deal from the Royals and the Orioles were committed to giving Rasmus right field at least on a platoon basis.

Didn't work out. Didn't come close. And right field remains a revolving door since the failure to re-sign Nick Markakis, costing the Orioles money and a few pitching prospects.

Getting Jay at the Royals' price would have made a lot of sense for the Orioles. And that's without the benefit of hindsight. But they've been intrigued by Rasmus for years.

Joey Rickard was recalled yesterday to take Rasmus' spot, and he earned his latest promotion, but Cedric Mullins makes a whole lot of sense as a switch-hitter with speed, plus-defensive skills and an average at Triple-A Norfolk that continues to climb.

It sits at .278 after Mullins went 3-for-6 last night. The latest count is 14 hits in his last 31 at-bats over seven games.

A healthy Mullins will be in Baltimore later this summer. This is "when" and not "if." The Orioles love to push their homegrown talent and Mullins was a 13th round pick in 2013 out of Campbell University. And he's tearing up the International League after a 2-for-24 start.

(His full name is Boyce Cedric Mullins and you should get to know him.)

Showalter was asked yesterday in Philadelphia whether Mullins is getting closer to a promotion and he basically deferred to executive vice president Dan Duquette, director of player development Brian Graham and Tides manager Ron Johnson "if we have a need."

"It's good to see him starting to show himself well at that level," Showalter said. "One thing Cedric has always brought is above-average defense. Through thick and thin, he's been a contributor defensively. We'll see where it takes us. I'm excited about his progress."

There aren't a whole lot of perks that come with possessing the worst record in baseball, but the Orioles have the opportunity to collect prospects in trades and evaluate their own with the season only in the first week of July.

It feels like it's dragged through an eternity, but we haven't even reached the All-Star break.

Manny Machado won't attract a crowd of Twins reporters at his locker during this four-game series. They aren't one of the teams pursuing him. It's safe to come out of the shower and the food room.

The real drama centers around whether Machado remains an Oriole after they return home.

There's clearly a desire to strike a deal despite industry and media speculation that the Orioles might not receive the necessary approval from ownership. I don't see any roadblocks beyond insufficient offers that kept Machado from already being traded.