Wednesday in the late afternoon hours, reports from multiple news outlets and reporters came out that the Mets have acquired RHP Adrian Houser and OF Tyrone Taylor from David Stearns’s former team the Milwaukee Brewers in a money dump trade for them in exchange for RHP prospect Coleman Crow (who was acquired in the Escobar deal last year), a deal that teams with financial availability like the Mets have can do to add depth players that have same profiles as FAs, at half the price. Both players that the Mets added bring depth to their biggest needs outfield and pitching, and while they did move a pitching prospect in Coleman Crow who is coming off TJ, they added depth for this season and beyond as both players have control under their belts.
Tyrone Taylor breakdown:
Tyrone Taylor is a 29-year-old outfielder who has a similar profile to current FA, Michael A. Taylor, as he brings power with good speed and defense, and with run prevention being something that’s been talked about a lot surrounding the Mets, Taylor as a 4th/5th outfielder fits the role nicely and can slot in when any injures pop up. His numbers struggled in 2023, but his 2022 numbers were solid, and if he can replicate that this upcoming season it would be a major plus. Let’s take a look at his 2022 season numbers:
⁃ 405 PAs
⁃ .233/.286/.442
⁃ 17 HR/.209 ISO
⁃ .307 xwOBA
⁃ .380 xwOBACON
⁃ 7 OAA
⁃ 28.5 SprintSpeed (81st percentile)
⁃ 102 wRC+
⁃ 2.1 fWAR
These numbers are definitely solid, especially the power defense and speed, there are on-base concerns as his best OBP was .321 back in 2021 and he’s posted an on-base% under .300 in 2 out of 3 seasons (min 200 PAs), so yeah definitely some concerns but the power and defense is really what gives him his abilities to stay on a major league roster, not many players can bring those three tools, and with him being under control till 2027, the Mets landed a solid depth piece that can slot into the lineup time to time.
Adrian Houser breakdown:
Houser isn’t someone who will wow you with big K numbers and all the fancy stuff, his pitching style is more off of contact, as his highest career K% was 25.3% back in 2019, but he can give the Mets innings and provide them depth as their rotation has many question marks, and if he can give the Mets 100 to 150 innings this year, it would be a nice thing to have as the organization couldn’t land Yoshinbo Yamamoto, and from reports, their plan is not to go after the Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery’s of this FA market, they will target depth pitching. Adrian Houser will be an FA in 2025 so not crazy team control, but if Houser can have a good 2024 the Mets could look to extend him. Let’s look at his 2023 numbers:
⁃ 111.1 IPs
⁃ 20.0% K%
⁃ 7.1% BB%
⁃ 18.4% Whiff%
⁃ 47.1% GB%
⁃ 105 ERA+
⁃ 4.12 ERA
⁃ 3.99 FIP
⁃ 83 Stuff+
As you see not great numbers, but simply putting it Houser is coming in as a swingman/6th man for the rotation, if he can generate weak contact and work on some of his stuff this offseason there’s potential there, this was a good move by the Mets moving a lower tier prospect coming off a TJ for two solid depth pieces for next season and beyond possibly.
BS Reports 
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