Fresh off of one of the better seasons of his career, Michael A. Taylor agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The deal is for $4 million. Many reports indicated that Taylor was a popular commodity amongst teams looking for a fourth outfielder this winter.
Michael A. Taylor Signs With The Pirates
Taylor has been known for his speed and great defense throughout his career. Unsurprisingly, Taylor was great with the glove in spacious Target Field last season. Taylor’s defense earned 5 Defensive Runs Saved and 9 Outs Above Average. Statcast ranks his 9 OAA in the 94th percentile, while his Arm Value (87th percentile) and Arm Strength (90th percentile) ranked amongst the best in the league.
Offensive Resurgence?
Despite the defense being as great as expected, Taylor’s offense represents perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his 2023 season. In 388 plate appearances (129 games), Taylor produced a .220/.278/.442 slash line with a career-high 21 homers and 13 steals. While his offensive production was four percent below league average, per wRC+, it was more than good enough when paired with his great defense.
Entering this offseason, the biggest question regarding Taylor centered around the likelihood of him producing another good offensive year. While 2023 marked his second season of a 90 or better OPS+, it comes after a four-year stretch (2018-2021) where he averaged a 74 OPS+. Additionally, Taylor struck out at an extreme rate (33.5 percent, in the 3rd percentile) and walked not enough (6.7 percent, in the 28th percentile). Taylor’s expected numbers, mainly his xwOBA and xBA, also ranked amongst the worst in the league.
These numbers don’t represent the be-all and end-all. However, they indicate that Taylor’s success with the bat might not last. The biggest difference between his 2023 offensive output and the rest of his career can be seen in his barrel percentage. He barreled the ball or made ideal contact at a career-high 13.5 percent clip.
What To Expect
Taylor signs with the Pirates mainly as a fourth-outfielder depth piece that will provide a great defense. His mercurial offense will be the wild card that determines how this contract grades out. But if he can provide anything close to league-average offense, then Pittsburgh will surely be happy with the contract.
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