Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 smaller roster decisions paying off early

2) Acquiring Tyrone Taylor in a trade to be more than your typical fourth outfielder

Love this move. Adding Tyrone Taylor in a trade as “the other guy” in the deal with the Milwaukee Brewers was brilliant. The trade seemed to, for most, be more about getting an affordable starting pitcher onto the Mets staff. Adrian Houser seemed like a more than capable fifth starter. He hasn’t shown enough since coming to New York. Taylor, on the other hand, has been used perfectly.

Taylor always should have been more than a typical fourth or fifth outfielder for the Mets. By boldly putting him in the middle of the order early on in 2024 against left-handed pitchers, the Mets made a statement that they believe in this guy. He has rewarded them with frequent hits, his usual brand of quality defense, and a pair of legs with a pair of wheels on the ankle.

One way to describe Taylor could be “toolsy” except he’s much more than a guy with a great glove, speed, or power. He has a little bit of everything. Unable to fully showcase this with Milwaukee, the Brewers haphazardly chose to deal him away this offseason likely due to his lack of minor league options and their abundance of outfielders on the depth chart. No worries. We’ll take care of him.

The best part of it all is that Taylor is under team control for a few more years. The Brewers don’t burn out too much service time with him and now the Mets can benefit.

We should, of course, expect Taylor’s numbers to come back down as the season progresses. The important thing will be to still regularly mix him into the rotation even when J.D. Martinez is back. Taylor seems to do best when playing often. A day of rest for some of the regulars and some pinch hitting opportunities for Taylor throughout the year is a way to continue this.