Pirates place veteran outfielder on waivers after walk-off win Sunday

After an exciting walk-off win against the Reds, Robert Murray reported that the Pirates were making a roster shuffle with one of their recent free agent additions for the stretch run.

The team placed Michael A. Taylor on outright waivers, hoping that a team in need would claim him and relieve them of his salary for September. The veteran center fielder was signed to a one-year contract, but was having a poor season in Pittsburgh.

Pirates place Michael A. Taylor on outright waivers after an extremely poor showing in 2024

During spring training, the Pirates determined they needed another outfielder, so they decided to work out a deal for Taylor. Initially, the signing looked great, as he'd just won the Gold Glove in center field and belted 21 homers for Minnesota.

That power-speed combo in the lineup was going to be a very big boost, but Pittsburgh never got that combo from Taylor. During the season, Taylor was one of the worst hitters in the entire league, striking out at a 34.7% rate that ranked in the second percentile league-wide. His batting run value was rated a remarkable -16, venturing into the deep negatives.

Along with those numbers, Taylor had an OPS of .540 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in. His wRC+ was very low at 50, and his on-base percentage sat at .256. The only positive contribution he made offensively was stealing 12 bases and only being caught once.

Taylor's defense was very consistent, too, as his fielding run value ranked in the 97th percentile at 11. His outs above average sat at 10, and he has saved 11 defensive runs. He could be looking at another Gold Glove in center field, but he will likely not win the award in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates might need to find a replacement for Taylor, though he will technically still be on their active roster throughout the waiver process until he is claimed. His defense in center field adds a lot of value for late-game scenarios, but that is not exactly a priority for Pittsburgh right now. If he remains unclaimed, a DFA could still be possible.

If a 40-man spot opens up, one of the Pirates' minor league acquisitions at the MLB trade deadline could be finding their way to Pittsburgh. Billy Cook and Nick Yorke have both impressed in Triple-A, which may be leading to their promotion.