Is any team looking for a veteran outfielder who will turn 34 in March after a dismal 2024 season? That’s the dilemma facing Michael A. Taylor after hitting .193/.253/.290, 5 HR, and 21 RBI for the Pittsburgh Pirates this past season. The right-handed-hitting Taylor spent much of 2024 sharing center field with Jack Suwinski on a platoon basis. However, he was almost equally ineffective against both types of pitchers. He hit .196 against left-handers and .192 against right-handers.
It Could Be A Long Wait For This Outfielder
Taylor has played primarily in center field in his 11-year career. For his career, he’s hit .235/.290/.381, 100 HR, and 353 RBI. A 2009 draft pick of the Washington Nationals, he debuted with Washington in 2014 and remained there through 2020, picking up a World Series ring in 2019. Despite three consecutive years of subpar offense in 2018-20, the Kansas City Royals signed him as a free agent, giving him a $1.75 million contract. The Royals saw enough that they gave him a two-year, $9 million extension for 2022 and 2023. After one year, they had seen enough, period. They were so desperate to dump him and his weighty salary that they traded him to the division rival Minnesota Twins. With Minnesota in 2023, he hit .220/.278/.442, but with a career-high 21 home runs. Taylor parlayed that performance into a one-year, $4 million deal with the Pirates.
The Good
Where the veteran outfielder shines is in the field. Taylor is credited with 66 Fielding Runs Above Average (FRAA) and 83 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) over his career. He’s never been charged with more than four errors in any season. According to Inside Edge, he’s made 45.8 of “unlikely” plays that have come his way. (Inside Edge also says he’s made zero percent of “impossible” plays. I guess that makes sense.) In 2022, his 16 FRAA in center field led the major leagues. In 2021, he won his only Gold Glove Award.
That same sparkling defense was evident in Pittsburgh. He registered 14 FRAA and 12 DRS in center field in 2024. Even so, and although his 0.9 WAR (just barely) indicates otherwise, he wasn’t a plus player for the Pirates because of his weak hitting. In late August, the Pirates moved shortstop and budding superstar Oneil Cruz to center field. Taylor’s Pirates career was essentially over at that point. However, he drew praise for being the proverbial “consummate professional,” aiding Cruz with the transition. Finally, the Pirates designated Taylor for assignment with six games remaining in the season.
The Bad And The Ugly
It’s Taylor’s offense that will make it difficult for a team to find room for the veteran outfielder. Somehow, he’s managed to earn more than $25 million in baseball with an odd offensive approach that doesn’t take advantage of his tools. To be specific, as a runner, Taylor is swift. With his speed, he should emphasize getting on base and making contact. Instead, he chases pitches and swings for the fences. He has struck out in 30.3 percent of his plate appearances while walking in only 6.9 percent. Both ratios are worse than the major league average over his career. This prevents him from taking advantage of his .316 BABIP. Taylor has power, but he’s not a power hitter. The veteran outfielder has reached double digits in home runs only four times in his career.
On the bases – the rare times he’s there – it’s a different story. He’s stolen 120 bases in his 11 years, getting caught only 32 times. His 79 percent rate is above the major league average. So is his 47 rate of extra bases taken.
The Last Word
Old dogs don’t learn new tricks, especially when the old tricks keep landing the old dogs lucrative contracts. Unfortunately for Taylor, based on his 2024 performance, he may have seen the last of those contracts. He’s proved himself to be a fifth-outfielder type, i.e., a guy who comes in handy as a defensive replacement and a pinch runner, and nothing more. Whether teams have room for that type of player is questionable in this era of 13-man pitching staffs and shorter benches. The prediction here is, like last year, he’ll get a contract in the spring with a small market team when there aren’t many free agent outfielders from which to choose. Like a last-minute gift on Christmas Eve, he’ll find a buyer when all the other merchandise has been picked over.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
