Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor underwent a pair of offseason surgeries, the team announced Friday. Taylor had an umbilical hernia repair performed back on Oct. 30 and just yesterday underwent a procedure to remove a loose body in his right elbow. Typical recovery for each surgery is about two months, per the team. Assuming Taylor’s rehab follows a similar timetable, he’d be ready in time for spring training.
Taylor, 30, is headed into his second season with the Mets, who acquired him from the Brewers alongside Adrian Houser in a trade that sent pitching prospect Coleman Crow back to Milwaukee. While Houser’s lone year in Queens didn’t prove fruitful, Taylor wound up playing a notable role as an oft-used backup who slotted into 130 games and took 345 turns at the plate. He hit .248/.299/.401 with seven homers, 11 steals and strong defense across all three outfield spots. Taylor was particularly productive from June onward, slashing .258/.323/.440 (115 wRC+) in that stretch.
The Mets can control Taylor for another two seasons. He’s eligible for arbitration this winter and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn an affordable $2.9MM salary. As things stand, he’s in line for an increased role next year, with Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte representing the only other experienced outfielders on the Mets’ 40-man roster.
Of course, the Mets are widely expected to be in the outfield market this winter. Owner Steve Cohen is meeting with Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras next week, and even if the Mets can’t lure Soto to Queens, they’ll have plenty of other options to choose from in free agency. With Nimmo capable of handling center, the Mets can look into free agents and trade targets of both the corner-outfield and center field variety. Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler O’Neill and Jurickson Profar are among the free agents this winter.
Tyrone Taylor was surprisingly effective and truly earned a spot on the Met’s roster as a 3rd or 4th outfielder. The Mets should strongly consider bringing him back.
Tyrone is a great fit for the Mets, but they may pivot to Soto.
“pivot to Soto”? Taylor is the fourth OF and he’ll be on the team regardless of Soto’s status.
Yes, but technically they can non tender him. I should have explained myself, apologies.
There is a 0% chance they non-tender him.
Less than zero percent!
Nice player.
Instead of Soto and Alonso, why not Christian Walker, Willy Adames, Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander?
Outfield/DH mix of Teoscar, Santander, Nimmo and Marte.
Christian Walker at 1B. Adames at 2B, Lindor at SS. Vientos at 3B. The bad part is Vientos is a weak defender at 3B, better suited for DH.
Thats 10.5 bWAR from just two players whose average age will be 28 that you’re trading for 12.9 bWAR from four players whose average age will be 31.5. Only a difference of 2.4 WAR across two additional positions. Factor in what McNeil/Acuña/Mauricio would give you at 2nd and whoever is gonna play DH and you easily have a greater differential in WAR with a younger group of players. Not only that but you’re banking on four players replicating their production instead of just two, one of whom is a generational talent that is just about to hit his prime.
In addition, going off MLBTR’s predictions. Soto/Alonso will cost an average of $71.15 mil a year while the other four would cost $86.67 mil a year. So they could actually sign one of Walker/Teoscar/Santander (all projected at $20 mil) in addition to Soto and Alonso and be spending only $5 mil more per year.
Chris
Good analysis.
I agree that the four players that start at 31 years you are getting by the middle of the four years will have a median age of 33.
But the median of Soto and Alonso during their contracts is also 33, Soto from age 26 to 40 (median is 33) and Alonso from 30 to 36 (median is 33).
So when Soto is 30 and Alonso is 34, my proposal then gives you $71 million a year to spend again rather than being trapped. And with Soto and Alonso, you need to pay for two additional players to amke it up to four so that cost at the beginning is quite close.
That’s 3 QO players. That costs 6 draft picks and international money.
This is fair, but I don’t see Alonso getting 6 years.
I think the NYM may acquire only 1 Outfielder via trade or Free agency unless they trade both McNeil and Marte who they would have to include some cash but not major. They could add 2 OFs.
I’d like to get Baty, Mauricio or Acuna in the IF/OF mix (Some players may get traded (McNeil and others) but they both need some additional AAA time. Mauricio needs to rehab after no playing time for a full year.
I like Adames but he only played 10 games at 2B and none at 3B. Doesn’t mean he can’t – its just that those positions are so critical to good defense.
As far as OFs I think I might want someone beside TH and AS. Too many k’s and defense just average.
I really think NYM is making a mistake IF they sign Soto. I know they have the $ – its just he’s just a 3 Tool player.
Better chance to be in playoffs for the next 7 years with younger AAA players eg. someone like a BAL OF
Sounded like Stearns is not looking to move Vientos off 3B, that may change even if they don’t re-sign Alonso
For 1B Walker is a good idea they could go 2 year Goldschmidt 1B/DH. Vientos could play 3B and 1B.
Wait let me stop crying I’m laughing so hard at the self appointed 100 MLB top commenter, a title he obviously got from the bottom of a cracker jack box. Worst take and bottom 100 comment I’ve ever seen or read.Get your facts in order, before making ridiculous comments.
MLB Top: not a fan of adding Adames, personally. They have McNeil, Acuna, and possibly Mauricio as potential 2B. I think the money would be better spent on pitching.
Johnny Angel
Well, since both of us have the same number of years as a WS champ POBO or GM, i.e., ZERO, you can laugh or cry, but my proposal gets the Mets more good players without paying Soto and Alonso mega/money to be DHs in their upper thirties and in Soto’s case early forties. And if my user name gets that big of a reaction from you, then you’re no “Angel”.
RCT
Reasonable comment. But I assume the Mets will acquire a frontline starter in every scenario.
I was more illustrating how wanting to spend a ton of money does not necessarily mean that Soto or Alonso is the only or even best answer.
@MLB Top: on those points we can agree.
What about the on-fire Mets prospects?
He is not a Free Agent.
He is Not a Free Agent.
He is an invaluable gamer type player. He can get about 350 ABs and provide Great defense and some speed on the basepaths.
Read the story he has two years of control left
Many players now out of baseball had “control left”. It’s up to the team whether they decide to tender a player a contract and with Juan Soto(and others) on the menu, there’s no guarantee he’s brought back. And I did read the story.
Taylor’s arb estimate is only $2.9 million. He put up 2.0 WAR in a non-starter role. They don’t need to ‘strongly consider’ bringing him back. Barring a trade, there is a 100% chance he’s back. *Especially* if they get Soto because that outfield defense (Soto in RF, Nimmo in CF, Marte/whoever in LF) would be bad. They would need Taylor even more.
Seems more likely to be Soto in right, Taylor in center, Nimmo in left, Marte at DH / 4th OF.
Taylor won’t be a starter. You could match him with someone like Cedric Mullins, the NYM could use more speed.. Stearns said he likes to create good depth on his teams.
I’d like them to resign Iglesias to 2 years even IF Acuna proves he doesn’t need any more AAA time.
Streams was very clear recently, Nimmo will be playing LF and they are prioritizing defense in CF. I still don’t think they sign Soto, regardless we need a CF with range. Taylor did great down the stretch but not sure Stearns views him as an everyday CF. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Acuna play CF.
MLB FAn is right. The SF GIants did release Jeff Davis after he won his arbitration case.in this case, under 3 million is worth it to have him as a 4th OF. He is better than many teams’ 3rd Outfielder.
Are you talking about JD Davis? Because he put up less than 1 WAR despite being a full time infielder. He gave them terrible defense to boot. Taylor put up 2.0 in a limited role and provided stellar defense, something they really needed with Marte in RF and Nimmo in LF. The situations are not remotely comparable. I’ll say it again: there is a 0% chance the Mets non-tender Taylor.
Less than zero!
@ Troutahni Really, really bad analogy…. JD Davis won over $6 million in arb to be a back-up, as the Giants had already signed Chapman to play the same position. Taylor projected to make only $2 mil, which is cheap even for a 4th OF of his skill set. Unlike Davis, Taylor’s results are consistent, he plays solid, even good defense, runs the bases well… This entire discussion is moot. No way the Mets non-tender Taylor.
JD Davis or Jonathan Davis, not Jeff (like McNeil)
Johnathan Davis of Korn????
He will be back
So so underrated player this year for the Mets. People don’t talk enough about how important he was to that team. Never once that he didn’t come through. But Mendoza knows how important he was. He was actually fantastic for them.
Did you see any Mets games on TV this past season? Gary, Keith and Ron were constantly praising both Taylor and Bader, rightfully so. If the Mets go into the season with an outfield of Marte, Nimmo, and Soto – or any of the other FA outfielders who are bat-first – Taylor will again be getting lots of playing time
Bader was my biggest surprise/mistake. I thought he was a horrible signing and he did better than I thought.
Good news that he’ll be ready for Spring Training. He’ll provide about 1.5 WAR for the team.
He only has 95 days to recover, though, so all the best.
I speak from experience. The herniated elbow surgery is very painful and slow to heal.
Tyrone can really motor around the bases. That Taylor is swift
Sometimes Taylor is a ham
Take a Ham fighter any Ole day