The Pirates have set up Michael A. Taylor on quitting altogether, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. It is important to note that Taylor was not selected, which means that he is still counted among the 26 and 40 players in the team, so he is allowed to play for the Pirates unless he is contested by another team.
Taylor, 33, is still an elite outfielder and key runner in his 11th big league season. Unfortunately, he's putting some pretty bad career numbers on the plate. Considering he had a career .683 OPS and 82 wRC+ entering the year, a career-worst performance meant that the right batter was out by default. He is hitting .196/.257/.284 with four home runs and 20 RBIs in 1oo games.
With that, it's not hard to see why the Pirates might want another team to take away Taylor's salary. The veteran signed a one-year, $4MM contract with Pittsburgh at the start of the season, and is owed nearly $790,000 for the rest of the season. However, if Taylor is not claimed within the next 48 hours, he will have the right to decline an outright offer to the minor leagues without losing salary. So it wouldn't be surprising if the Pirates decide to keep him on the active roster. He still offers value as a veteran outfielder and quality defensive player, even if he isn't the everyday player the Pirates hoped he would be. Alternatively, the team may choose to eat his remaining salary and give his roster spot to a promising young player. The acquisition of the trade deadline Nick Yorke again Billy Cook both have been hitting well in Triple-A recently; The Pirates will definitely want to see what both of them can do in the big league soon.
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