The MLB trade deadline is a little over a month away. At this point in the season, teams are starting to know whether they are going to be buyers or sellers. In this article we will take a look at a potential trade target for the Brewers in outfielder Michael A. Taylor.
The Kansas City Royals are one of the worst teams record wise in the American league and may end up parting ways with a few veterans this trade season. Earlier this year, the Brewers were linked to being interested in Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Michael Taylor is the speedy centerfielder who plays on that same team. Taylor is under contract through the 2023 season in which he will make $4.5MM next year at age 32.
Michael Taylor is having a career year at the plate and is elite defensively.
Offensively, Michael Taylor has a slash line of .272/.355/.401/.756. While he is not a slugger by any means, he is excelling at getting on base and making contact. He is in the 81st percentile in terms of walk percentage while striking out just 22 percent of the time. The vast majority of his at bats have come while hitting eighth in the lineup, but on the right team he could be a great table setter ahead of the power bats.
Defensively, this year he is in the top 10 in terms of defensive runs saved for an outfielder. In 2021, he was tied with Adam Duvall for the best DRS among outfielders at 19 and ended up getting a gold glove as a result. His ability to impact the game with his defense may be a big incentive for the Brewers, who just designated Lorenzo Cain for assignment.
What would acquiring Michael Taylor mean for current Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor?
Tyrone Taylor’s big league playing time has been earned every step of the way. In 2021 he was the team’s fifth outfielder, but still managed to put together a solid season. To begin 2022, he again was on the outside looking in, but he took advantage of Lorenzo Cain’s struggles and officially now has the opportunity to play everyday with Cain no longer on the team. However, that opportunity may be short lived because June has not been kind to Tyrone Taylor.
In June, he currently has a .157 batting average and .189 on base percentage. How he performs leading up to the trade deadline may dictate if the Brewers decide to upgrade in centerfield or not. David Stearns has already indicated that he was hoping for “in house improvements” to upgrade the offense, but if Tyrone Taylor continues to struggle, he may find himself as the backup outfielder yet again.
What would it cost to acquire Michael Taylor via trade?
If the Brewers decide to explore trading for Michael Taylor, they should not have to give up any of their top 30 prospects. Last year when the Brewers traded for Eduardo Escobar they parted ways with Cooper Hummel and Alberto Ciprian, both of whom were outside the top 30 prospect rankings. At the time, Hummel was near MLB ready and Cipirian was just 18 years old. Even though Michael Taylor would be under control for all of next season, a deal similar to this is about what to expect.
Having Michael Taylor on the team next year would also help fill the gap until the Brewers top outfield prospects are ready. Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick are all currently in Double-A. It may be a few more years before we see them in the show.
Michael A. Taylor is certainly an interesting player to consider as a trade target. If Tyrone Taylor continues to struggle offensively, Michael Taylor may be worth looking into. For now, all we can do is wait and see how Tyrone Taylor performs over the next month.
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