The 2024 season hasn't gone according to plan for the Chicago Cubs, and they're running out of time to make things right.
After missing an opportunity to get above .500 against the lowly Miami Marlins on Sunday, the Cubs sit 5 1/2 games out of the National League Wild Card race with 31 games to play. They face long odds to make the postseason, but it's not completely over just yet.
While the Cubs still have vague playoff hopes, they can still be power players on the waiver wire, given their big-market budget and high waiver priority based on win-loss record. And a former division rival who may be able to help the Cubs was just placed on waivers.
As first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, the Pittsburgh Pirates waived former Gold Glove outfielder Michael A. Taylor on Sunday. The Cubs are one of several teams who could at least give Taylor a look in hopes of improving their outfield defensively.
Taylor, 33, was placed on outright waivers, meaning other clubs have 48 hours to claim him and retain the rest of his salary. If he goes unclaimed, the Pirates would have to keep him on the active roster or let him hit free agency, while still paying him the rest of his salary.
The remaining portion of the $4 million deal Taylor signed before the season amounts to approximately $790,000, which shouldn't matter to a team like the Cubs, especially since they shed Hector Néris' $9 million player option for 2025.
While Taylor won't provide much with the bat nowadays (53 OPS+ this season), he's still as good as they come with the glove. He won a Gold Glove in center field in 2021 and still grades out as one of the premier defenders at the position, as does Cubs rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Having a late-game defensive weapon like Taylor to deploy in one of the corners could lock up a win or two for the Cubs down the stretch. Plus, he's an ideal pinch runner with 81st percentile sprint speed, and can even hit a little bit against lefties.
Will a move like this suddenly turn the Cubs into World Series contenders? Likely not, but it still may be worth a shot. You never know when the right veteran role player might click in a new clubhouse.
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