With the Aug. 3 trade deadline closing in, the Mets’ attention is turning toward what comes next, and Tyrone Taylor is making a stronger case for himself by the day.
Taylor delivered again Thursday in the Mets’ 7-3 series-clinching win over the Royals, going 2 for 3 with a home run and a double. He didn’t even start the game, entering in center field in the top of the third after Mark Vientos was hit by a pitch and left the contest, which forced a defensive shuffle.
Then Taylor made the kind of swing that gets noticed. He turned on a Michael Wacha cutter and sent it into the Citi Field seats for his sixth homer of the season, a shot that tied the game at 2 and helped ignite a five-run fifth inning. He added a double in the eighth.
“He’s been really good, and he’s an unbelievable teammate,” interim manager Andy Green said. “I’m certain he wants to be out there more consistently than he is, but he’s on the top rail, living and breathing and dying with everybody’s at bat, pulling for them. He’s just an unbelievable guy to have.”
The timing matters. Taylor has been on a tear since coming off the injured list on June 26 after a month away.
In nine games since his return, he’s 7-for-17 with three home runs and a 1.444 OPS. Over that stretch, his season OPS has climbed from .530 to .667.
Even so, the playing time picture in the Mets outfield remains crowded. Carson Benge and AJ Ewing have both put together breakout seasons, Juan Soto is turning in his usual MVP-caliber work, and Luis Robert Jr. is getting closer to returning from the injured list. That leaves Taylor fighting for at-bats, even while he keeps producing.
Green said before Thursday’s game that he’s willing to give regulars a breather to keep a player like Taylor involved and sharp.
“There’s still times where other guys have to get out there to stay usable and impactful. Taylor had a couple starts in Atlanta, homered a couple of times. Those are big at-bats for us, and there’s times we’re just going to leave [Ewing] out there because it’s the right thing to do for the game and for him.”
Taylor is also in a spot that makes him a natural trade candidate. He’s headed for free agency after the season, and his profile fits a contender looking for a right-handed bat who can cover all three outfield spots.
His overall numbers still leave plenty to be desired. Taylor is hitting .219/.246/.421, and The Athletic projected only a minimal return. But for a Mets club sitting at 40-54 and 12 games out of the final wild-card spot, moving him would fit the larger task of reworking a roster that has fallen short.
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