Could Chris Taylor Be A Free Agent Option For Mets?

Chris Taylor is the talk of the baseball world today after his historic three home run game in the Dodgers 11-2 Game 5 win on Thursday evening.

After going 4-for-5 to extend the Dodgers season until at least Saturday, Taylor is now slashing .529/.600/1.176 in 20 plate appearances in this year’s NLCS. Yet despite his success against the Braves, the versatile defender – we’ll get to that point in a bit – did not emerge from nowhere.

Each season since 2017, Taylor has been a consistent in the Dodgers lineup, playing at least 140 games in three of those years (which includes the 60-game COVID-shortened season). In that span, he has never posted an OPS+ below 107, and he was named to his first All-Star Game this season. By season’s end in 2021, Taylor belted 20 home runs (one short of a career high), and knocking in 73 RBIs, which did set a career-best mark.

Looking at the past five years compared to impending free agent Michael Conforto, Taylor’s overall numbers fall just short of the Mets slugger’s. Conforto’s OPS+ of 127 rises over Taylor’s (114), the latter who has also not been as adept as a power hitter or in getting on-base.

But when we consider the present day, Taylor’s value skyrockets because of his defense. Once just a versatile infielder, Taylor has expanded his game to play every outfield spot, as well as second base, third base, and shortstop.

Adding onto the case for signing Taylor is his market value. Another name the Mets have been linked to is Kris Bryant, who will be a free agent for the first time in his career this winter. Expected to command a deal worth well over $100 million over the course of at least half a decade, Bryant also brings defensive versatile in both the infield and outfield. Yet considering he’ll likely receive a contract significantly higher than what Taylor will be looking for, is his slightly better offensive production worth that ballooned cost? Given that the Mets will be looking to sign multiple marquee free agents, it may be in their best interest to let Conforto walk, sign Taylor, and then use the money they saved from not signing Bryant to re-sign a quality pitcher such as Marcus Stroman.

I understand that baseball technically has no salary cap, so theoretically Steve Cohen could decide to sign Bryant, Stroman, and another top-tier bat. But being realistic, it doesn’t seem like the Mets will go all-out for multiple top names on the market. Rather, “playing it safe” and signing Taylor might open up the most doors to using their money wisely, and ultimately putting a true contending team on the field in 2022.