Michael A. Taylor‘s time in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform may come to an end thanks to Thursday’s recall of outfielder Joshua Palacios. On Wednesday, sources reported that Palacios was going to join the big club in time for that evening’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. A few hours later, it was reported that the Pirates had changed their mind. Apparently, it was slugging outfielder Jack Suwinski who was going to Triple-A Indianapolis in the corresponding move. However, Suwinski bought himself a reprieve by going 3-for-3 with a home run against the Cardinals on Tuesday.
When starting pitcher Jared Jones went on the injured list with a lat strain, it gave the Pirates a second opportunity to add Palacios to the team. When Jones’s turn in the rotation comes up next, a pitcher will have to be added to the active roster. A position player, likely an outfielder, will have to go.
We have recalled OF Joshua Palacios from Triple-A Indianapolis and placed RHP Jared Jones on the 15-day injured list.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 4, 2024
Pirates’ Recall of Palacios Could Spell the End for Taylor
In 2023, the left-handed-hitting Palacios hit .239/.279/.413 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, and an 86 OPS+ in 91 games. He was 8-for-22 as a pinch-hitter, including two home runs. Those eight pinch hits put him in a three-way tie for most in the National League. Last year, his WPA was a minus 0.3, indicating he wasn’t much of a clutch performer.
You’d have trouble convincing Pirates fans of that, however. There was his seventh-inning homer in St. Louis on June 2, 2023, which added an important run in a 7-5 win. Then there was the 10th-inning game-winning homer against the Phillies on July 30. As if Palacios hadn’t broken Cardinals fans’ hearts enough, there was his pinch-hit ninth-inning two-run blast to give the Pirates a 7-6 victory at Busch Stadium on September 2. Finally, there was September 21 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Palacios crushed a three-run pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning that turned out to be the margin of victory when closer David Bednar struggled in the bottom of the inning.
A Rough First Half
As for 2024, Palacios was slowed by an illness in spring training and sent to Triple-A to start the season. There he went on the IL and wasn’t activated until June 11. Across three minor league levels in 2024, he hit .298/.360/.462, 3 HR, and 14 RBI in 30 games.
The fun-loving Palacios plays the game with a joy that makes Willie Mays look like an undertaker in comparison. It probably rubs opposing teams and their fans the wrong way. In a different era, it might have even earned him a few brushback pitches and bruises. He means no harm. The Pirates, who with a few exceptions play with the demeanor of accountants, could benefit from his enthusiasm. They could benefit from his offense, too. That’s why, when another pitcher is added in a few days, Palacios may not be the one to go.
Who Might Go
Among outfielders, Suwinski, Edward Olivares, and Connor Joe all have minor league options remaining. Yet one can’t help but wonder if it’s Taylor who will receive his walking papers from the Pirates so that Palacios can remain. It appears that Suwinski has bought himself some more time. Olivares and Joe aren’t exactly lighting up the stats sheets lately. However, both have been far better offensively than Taylor, and Joe is the right-handed platoon partner at first base with Rowdy Tellez.
Entering Friday’s action, Taylor is hitting a pathetic .190/.243/.247, 1 HR, 11 RBI, and a 41 OPS+. The 33-year-old carries an unacceptable 34.5 percent strikeout rate. The 21 homers he hit last year for the Minnesota Twins look more and more like an aberration. More recently, he’s failed on sacrifice bunt attempts and committed a run-scoring error in Cincinnati. He’s been the right-handed half of a center field platoon with Suwinski. Indeed, Taylor is Pittsburgh’s best defensive outfielder, worth nine Fielding Runs Above Average and eight Defensive Runs Saved.
If Palacios stays and Taylor goes, it leaves the Pirates without a right-handed-hitting center fielder. It also leaves them with only Suwinski as a legitimate major league center fielder. Or does it? Before he took ill, the Pirates looked at Palacios in center field in spring training. He also played 16 innings there in the minor leagues this season. Perhaps the Pirates feel Palacios can spell Suwinski there when needed. Palacios is a fast runner. It will mean that Suwinski and Palacios would face more left-handed pitching than normal. But so what? Taylor isn’t hitting the lefties anyway.
Taylor was signed for $4 million in the spring. There’s precedent for general manager Ben Cherington to release an underperforming, high-salaried veteran. He did it with Yoshi Tsutsugo in 2022.
The Last Word
The guess here is that Palacios is in Pittsburgh to stay for the time being as they continue to look for internal improvement. Cherington and manager Derek Shelton know him from their time in Toronto, where Palacios came up. They know and like what he brings to the table. The Pirates could send Suwinski or Olivares to the minors without doing much damage to their impotent offense. But it feels like Taylor’s time is nearly up. It’s hard to imagine how this relationship between Taylor and the Pirates is benefiting either party. The answer will come in a few days.
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