Mike Tauchman

Tauchman turned his career around a bit in 2023 with the Cubs. After struggling to a .181 batting average in 2021 with the Yankees and Giants, the veteran outfielder decided to spend his 2022 season in Korea. The time away seemed to help, as Tauchman lifted his average to .252 over 108 games with Chicago. He also posted a .740 OPS, which was his best mark since recording an .865 OPS for the Yankees back in 2019. The 33-year-old also chipped in eight home runs and seven stolen bases, and he saw some time as the Cubs' leadoff hitter. Tauchman is probably best suited to serve as a fourth outfielder, especially if promising 21-year-old Pete Crow-Armstrong can seize the reins in center heading into 2024. The left-hand hitting Tauchman could be a good platoon partner, though Crow-Armstrong also bats from the left side. Tauchman may ultimately start the year as the primary center fielder, at least until Crow-Armstrong shows he's ready for an everyday role.

Tauchman is back in the states on a minor-league pact with the Cubs following a stint last season in Korea. The 32-year-old had a terrific year with the bat in 2019 with the Yankees when the ball was juiced, but that looks like a clear outlier compared to the rest of his career. Even if he manages to land a roster spot with the Cubs, it's unlikely he'll be relevant in fantasy leagues.

Tauchman was an integral component of the Yankees' "next man up" approach to the 2020 season. With all three outfield starters exiting summer camp with injuries, Tauchman was in line to be a key cog in the Bronx. He indeed received a good amount of playing time, but his newfound power vanished. Some may have been a less lively ball, but that doesn't account for a 30-foot drop in average flyball distance, from 322.5 feet to 292.3 feet. Tauchman's average exit velocity on flyballs dipped 6 mph, explaining his failure to hit any homers, despite being a lefty in Yankee Stadium. The power may have disappeared, but Tauchman was perfect on six steal attempts for the second straight season. With a healthy outfield and the emergence of Clint Frazier, Tauchman must exhibit some pop in spring training if he wants to carve out a 2021 role. That said, the injury history of his teammates suggests playing time could be there.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has oodles of money to work with, but he deserves a lot of credit for finding overlooked talent. Tauchman is his latest success story. Deemed an encumbrance on the Rockies' 40-man roster, Tauchman was traded to the Yankees on March 23 in exchange for reliever Phillip Diehl. Diehl went on to post a 7.36 ERA over 10 appearances while Tauchman went on to be worth 2.6 fWAR in a mere 296 PA. His offensive rate stats were off the charts and on defense he ranked among the top 10 qualifying outfielders in Outs Above Average (which is not a rate stat). His K% was a manageable 24% and Tauchman walked 11.5% of the time. Obviously we can't extrapolate his 2019 numbers over a full season or even guarantee a regular role, but a lefty hitter in Yankee Stadium with these skills on both sides of the ball should warrant serious attention on draft day.

Tauchman seemed like a long shot to spend any time in the big leagues heading into the season. The Rockies had re-signed Carlos Gonzalez and had a host of other options vying for outfield spots. However, Tauchman turned a monstrous spring training effort into an Opening Day assignment in the big leagues. He did little with it, ultimately producing a lowly .319 OPS in 37 plate appearances before being demoted. He wound up spending much of the summer raking at Triple-A, slashing .323/.408/.571 with 20 home runs for Albuquerque, though that wasn't enough to get a September callup. With Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra now out of the picture in Colorado, Tauchman has an outside chance of getting back to the big leagues this season, though there would still need to be a bevy of injuries for him to see any significant time.

In 110 games at Albuquerque, Tauchman posted an outstanding .331/.386/.555 line with 16 homers and 80 RBI. He also swiped 16 bases and produced a solid 40:73 BB:K. This earned Tauchman a promotion to the big leagues when injuries struck the Rockies' regulars. His performance in the majors was nothing to write home about, although his 15.6 percent walk rate is an encouraging mark in a small sample. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, there is a logjam in Colorado's outfield even after the departure of Carlos Gonzalez. Charlie Blackmon is cemented in center field, and Gerardo Parra, Raimel Tapia and David Dahl are jockeying for corner-outfield spots. Ian Desmond can also play the outfield, so Tauchman seems to be on the outside looking in for a big-league roster spot. He can likely be passed over in most leagues, but he could be worth a look as a temporary fill-in if injuries give him a chance to play regularly for a stretch.