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The Pirates have placed Michael A. Taylor on outright waivers, as reported by Robert Murray of FanSided. It’s worth noting that Taylor has not been designated for assignment, so he is still on both the team’s 26-man and 40-man rosters. This means he is eligible to continue playing for the Pirates unless he is claimed by another team.
At 33 years old, Taylor is known for his exceptional defense and baserunning skills in his 11th season in the majors. However, he is currently experiencing a drop in performance at the plate, with career-low numbers. With a career .683 OPS and 82 wRC+ prior to this season, his current slash line of .196/.257/.284 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 100 games is less than stellar.
Given Taylor’s struggles, it’s understandable why the Pirates are looking to offload his salary. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract with Pittsburgh before the season, with around $790,000 still owed to him for the remainder of the year. If he goes unclaimed in the next 48 hours, Taylor can refuse an outright assignment to the minors without losing any salary. This may lead the Pirates to keep him on the active roster, where he can still contribute as a veteran outfielder and defensive replacement, even if he’s not an everyday player as initially hoped.
Alternatively, the team may choose to eat his remaining salary and open up a roster spot for promising young players like Nick Yorke and Billy Cook, both of whom have been performing well at Triple-A. The Pirates may be eager to see what these young talents can bring to the big league team sooner rather than later.
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