Could the Philadelphia Phillies land this player from the New York Mets before the MLB trade deadline?
The Philadelphia Phillies are well on track to make the playoffs, but one would be remiss to ignore all of the obvious holes they have.
The Phillies have clear issues in their outfield, their bullpen and the back end of their starting rotation, and they are expected to make moves to shore up all of those areas before the MLB trade deadline.
Of course, doing so won't be easy, as Philadelphia is thin on trade capital, and the market is not expected to be robust. But the Phillies should be able to find some serviceable answers.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic recently floated some possibilities for Philadelphia between now and Aug. 3, and he named yet another target from the New York Mets: outfielder Tyrone Taylor.
Remember: Gelb recently pitched the idea of the Phils potentially swinging a deal for one of the Mets' relievers, so the fact that another target from the Phillies' hated NL East rivals has surfaced is certainly interesting.
New York Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor. Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.Whether or not New York would actually help Philadelphia remains to be seen, but at this point, the stumbling Mets might just want to restock their farm system irrespective of the trading partner.
Taylor can play all three outfield positions at a high level, which is certainly valuable. And while he definitely isn't the best hitter in the world, he owns a respectable .718 OPS in 2026, which would be an upgrade over Gabriel Rincones Jr. for sure.
It's also entirely possible that Taylor would better succeed at Citizens Bank Park, as he has hit six home runs this season while playing in the gaping chasm that is Citi Field.
But is he really the best solution the Phillies can find?
To be quite frank, Taylor would not represent a substantial upgrade over Derek Hill, who is slashing .304/.328/.500 over 59 plate appearances in Philly this season. It's a small sample size, sure, and Hill owns a lifetime .644 OPS, but is Taylor enough of an improvement to sacrifice trade assets?
Now, the fact that Taylor is being mentioned as a potential target does speak to how thin the trade market might be over these next couple of weeks. Philadelphia might not have any other significantly better options available.
Regardless, Taylor is not exactly the most inspiring answer to the Phillies' offensive problems. Especially considering his pitiful .265 OBP.
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