Mets' Mike Tauchman getting a real chance to push Carson Benge for Opening Day roster spot
Mets' Mike Tauchman rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning in a spring training game against the Astros on Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Mike Tauchman is too old to be naive, too seasoned to suffer any delusions.
The journeyman outfielder is 35 and spent the 2022 season in the KBO before three successful-enough years with the Cubs and White Sox – the last of which was cut slightly short when he tore his right meniscus in late September. He wasn’t tendered a contract, and instead signed a minor-league deal with the Mets, fully aware of how high the organization was on prospect Carson Benge.
But though he knows he's far from a sure thing, it's become clear that Tauchman is far from disposable – at least for now – and even if a spring training game hardly proves anything, he did underline that fact in the first inning of the Mets' 6-6 tie with the Astros at Clover Park Tuesday, when he rocketed Jason Alexander’s 1-0 changeup to rightfield for a three-run homer.
“I’m under no illusion that I’m not getting older and a little bit toward the end of my career, especially with what’s going on potentially next year” with the possibility of a lockout, he said. “The opportunity to play on a team that I believe has a chance to make a deep playoff run and do some special things appealed to me. I also think my skillset works a little more on a team like [this]…[I’ve played] every single role that someone in my position can do.”
Tauchman is intriguing for what he explicitly provides and what he tacitly brings to this team. First, the tangible elements of his game: he doesn’t hit the ball hard, but his excellent command of the strike zone means he chases rarely and walks plenty. His plate discipline means he can see a ton of pitches per plate appearance (4.37 when he played a career-high 109 games in 2024; the highest among qualified batters that year was Isaac Paredes with 4.43). That’s a two-fold gift: it tires the opposition and provides more information to the guys batting after him.
He’s a perfectly average outfielder, but he can play all three positions. And overall, the package is valuable, slashing .263/.356/.400 in 93 games with the White Sox last year; his 112 OPS+ makes him an under-the-radar steal.
But there’s another aspect: Intentional or not, there's a lot of pressure on Benge. Since the offseason started, president of baseball operations David Stearns noted that Benge had a real chance to break camp on the Opening Day roster, and potentially as the starting right fielder. If Tauchman does make the team, he serves as an insurance policy, and can take the heat off Benge if, say, a 23-year-old who began last year with High-A Brooklyn isn’t quite ready to hit the main stage.
If Benge needed any more motivation (he likely does not), Tauchman provides some. As if to illustrate the point, when Tauchman officially reported to camp, the Mets gave him Benge’s locker, and stuck the younger outfielder in one of the auxiliary mid-clubhouse lockers usually reserved for prospects.
“It’s part of the competition that we have,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s not only with Carson, but MJ Melendez is in the mix as well, Tyrone Taylor. We all know the player that [Benge] can be, so it adds to that competition.”
But make no mistake, Mendoza said – Tauchman has a shot here.
“There’s a real opportunity” for Opening Day, Mendoza said. “We value what he brings to the table – the defensive versatility as well as his ability to play all three [positions], his ability to control the strike zone. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark. We were pretty honest with him and we’ll continue to be [honest], not only with him but with a lot of the guys here. He’s getting a real chance and we’ll see what happens.”
Notes & quotes: Jonah Tong will make his first spring training start against the Cardinals Wednesday…The Mets are continuing to be cautious with a handful of players, but a few might be seeing game action soon, Mendoza said. Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty have yet to get into a spring training game, but they’ll ramp up further in the coming days, with a sim game scheduled for them either Wednesday or Thursday. Alvarez will slot in as a DH in the coming days and likely will catch in their game against the Nationals Saturday. Baty will hopefully see playing time at first base this weekend.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
