Pirates place Michael A. Taylor on the waiver list

The pirates have Michael A. Taylor on the waiver list, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. It’s important to note that Taylor was not designated for assignment, meaning he is still on the team’s 26- and 40-man rosters and therefore eligible to play for the Pirates unless he is claimed by another club.

Taylor, 33, remains a stellar defender and valuable baserunner in his 11th major league season. However, he is putting up career-worst numbers at the plate. Considering he already had a career OPS of .683 and a WRC+ of 82 to start the year, a career-worst performance means the right-hander was all but an automatic out. He’s posting a .196/.257/.284 batting average with four home runs and 20 RBIs in 100 games.

With that in mind, it’s not hard to understand why the Pirates are looking for another team to take Taylor’s salary. The veteran signed a one-year, $4 million deal with Pittsburgh in the offseason and is owed about $790,000 for the remainder of the season. If Taylor goes unclaimed in the next 48 hours, he has the right to decline a direct assignment to the minor leagues without giving up his salary. Therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Pirates decided to keep him on the active roster. He’s still valuable as a veteran fourth outfielder and quality backup on defense, even if he’s not the everyday player the Pirates were hoping for. On the other hand, the team might prefer to take on the rest of his salary and give his roster spot to a more promising young player.

More to follow …