Taylor Rogers
Age: 31 (12/17/1990)
B/T: L/L
2022 Traditional Stats: 66 G, 4-8 record, 64 1/3 IP, 4.76 ERA, 1.181 WHIP, 84 SO, 19 BB
2022 Advanced Stats: 81 ERA+, 3.31 FIP, 11.8 SO/9, 30.7 SO%, 6.9 BB%, -0.7 bWAR
Rundown
Taylor Rogers was a key component in two different win-now trades for a San Diego Padres team that eventually made it to the NLCS this past season. This offseason, he will be looking to join a contender rather than be the piece that is moved in order to improve a contender, and he has a resume of success that will make him quite the acquisition for whichever team lands his services.
Rogers is entering his age-32 season and has been a lockdown left-handed reliever since making his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins back in 2016. He spent the first six years of his career with the Twins, earning his first and so far only career All-Star nomination in 2021 and pitching in three different postseasons for the team.
Just before the lockout ended and the 2022 season officially kicked off, Rogers was dealt to the San Diego Padres in a five-player trade that saw Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagán go to the Twins. Rogers served as the Padres’ primary closer through the first half of the season, racking up an impressive 28 saves across 42 appearances but suffering several blow-up outings that landed him with five losses and an unimpressive 4.35 ERA.
Looking to make an upgrade in their bullpen, the Padres moved Rogers less than four months after initially acquiring him, swapping him with Milwaukee Brewers superstar closer Josh Hader. Rogers faltered during his brief stint on the Brewers, earning just three saves and posting a 5.48 ERA across 24 appearances.
Rogers may have stumbled quite a bit throughout this past season, but his numbers suggested that he was not all that different from his breakout 2021 season or his sustained success in the years prior. His FIP was down at 3.31, while his WHIP was consistent with his career average and his strikeout rate has never been higher than the 14.1 K/9 he had with the Brewers.
Contract
Despite being moved twice in the span of one season and having lost the closer job for two different teams in 2022, Rogers is among the most talented lefty relievers available on the market. His most recent contract was for one year and $7.3 million, and the price set by relievers who have already signed deals this offseason would suggest that he will make more money across a substantially longer contract.
MLB Trade Rumors estimated that Rogers would likely get three years, $30 million and tough to argue with that given the type of money we’ve seen pitchers get so far this offseason. Former Mets pitcher Rafael Montero received three years, $34.5 million from the Astros and while he had a better 2022 than Rogers he doesn’t have the better track record.
Recommendation
The Mets entered this offseason with plenty of big needs, and a reliable left-handed reliever was somewhere in the middle of their list. The priority of this type of move steadily increased as the team addressed other needs by signing Edwin Díaz, Justin Verlander, and José Quintana to lucrative deals.
The team eventually found their man in Brooks Raley, who they acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. However, the Mets are far from done with addressing their needs in this free agency period, and a bullpen can only serve to benefit from having two high-impact lefty relievers instead of one.
Just about every bullpen arm that pitched for the Mets in 2022 became a free agent after the season concluded, so there are plenty of empty spots on the roster sheet to fill. The Mets have yet to address the offense in free agency and still need another arm for the rotation, but don’t count out the team pursuing Rogers as a means of shoring up what could be shaping up to be a solid bullpen.
