Tyrone Taylor put on a show Monday night and it’s hard to imagine he’ll be doing it in a Mets uniform much longer.
The veteran outfielder went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs in New York’s 14-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. The highlight came in the seventh inning when he launched a three-run homer that stretched the Mets’ lead to 8-3. That’s six homers in his last 35 plate appearances, which is the kind of stretch that makes contending teams pick up the phone.
Taylor is 32 years old and playing on a one-year, $3.8 million deal the Mets gave him last November to avoid arbitration. He’s an expiring contract on a team that’s expected to be sellers before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That’s a pretty clear recipe for a deadline deal.
What Taylor’s hot streak means for his trade value
Outfield help is always in demand this time of year and Taylor is swinging a hot bat at exactly the right moment. He’s got at least one hit in five of his last six games and a two-game homer streak going. He also went deep Sunday in the series finale against the defending champion Dodgers.
For the season, Taylor is hitting .250 with a .292 on-base percentage and a .507 slugging percentage. Nine homers and 26 RBIs across 62 games. Those numbers aren’t flashy but they’re solid. And when you factor in that he’s a right-handed hitter with some positional flexibility and a relatively small salary, he becomes a pretty attractive rental piece.
The question is what the Mets can actually get back for him. This isn’t a blockbuster return we’re talking about. But for a team that’s looking to restock its farm system, even a mid-tier prospect or a couple of lottery tickets would be something.
Taylor’s recent surge complicates the timeline
You wonder if the Mets front office is watching this and thinking they should move him before he cools off. Or maybe they’re hoping he keeps crushing the ball and raises his value even more. Either way, Taylor is making himself impossible to ignore.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman noted that several teams have checked in on Taylor, though no deal is close yet. The Mets have been listening on just about everyone who isn’t locked up long-term, and Taylor fits that category perfectly.
For now he’s just going to keep swinging. And if Monday night was any indication, he’s going to make whoever ends up with him very happy.
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