Veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman joins the Mets, intensifying the battle for right field with his proven bat and defensive versatility.
The competition for the final spot in the New York Mets’ outfield just had another layer added to it, with Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting on Monday that New York has signed outfielder Mike Tauchman to a minor league contract.
Tauchman’s deal is pending a physical and comes just a few days before the Mets’ first spring training game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday. At 35 years old, Tauchman provides the Mets another option to fill in the right field hole that’s been left with Juan Soto moving to left field.
He played 93 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2025, where he hit 27 extra-base hits on his way to a .263/.356/.400 slash line with a .756 OPS. Tauchman was the sixth most valuable White Sox player last season in less than 100 games, according to WAR.
As an above-average bat for the past three seasons, Tauchman doesn’t hurt his value too much on the defensive side of things, sitting around league average in key defensive statistics such as Outs Above Average, Arm Strength, and Arm Value.
In his eight-year career, Tauchman has spent more time in right field than any other position, playing just under 200 games at the position compared to 150 in left field and 135 in center field. With Soto in left and trade acquisition Luis Robert Jr. set to play center field, Tauchman slides in as a real option to fill that hole in right.
Tauchman, entering the organization on a minor league deal, will have to prove himself this spring if he wants a regular role on the major league roster. Other options the Mets have in right field include MJ Melendez, Tyrone Taylor, Brett Baty, and Carson Benge.
Taylor and Baty were with New York in 2025, but Taylor’s skills are more suited for an occupied center field position, while Baty is inexperienced in the outfield. Melendez was a signing made in hopes of a huge bounce-back season after a -10 OPS+ last season with the Kansas City Royals. Benge is one of the top prospects in the Mets’ system, but his struggles in Triple-A in 2025 may indicate a need for more time in the minors before being thrown into an everyday role at the big league level.
Manager Carlos Mendoza has an important decision to make for Opening Day, but Tauchman’s addition provides him with a proven option in right field. A low-risk, high-reward signing, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns continues his great offseason.