Mets sign OF Tyrone Taylor to $3.8 million, 1-year deal and cut 3 relievers loose

NEW YORK (AP) — Center fielder Tyrone Taylor and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $3.8 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.

New York chose not to offer 2026 contracts to a trio of relief pitchers: right-hander Max Kranick and left-handers José Castillo and Danny Young. All three became free agents ahead of Friday’s non-tender deadline.

The speedy Taylor has spent the past two seasons with the Mets after being acquired from Milwaukee in a trade. He made 85 starts in center field this year and two in left, providing excellent defense but batting a career-low .223 with two homers, 27 RBIs and a career-worst .598 OPS in 113 games.

The 28-year-old Kranick was 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 24 appearances out of the bullpen this year before season-ending surgery to repair his right flexor tendon.

Young, 31, had a 4.32 ERA in 10 outings prior to season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Castillo, who turns 30 in January, pitched for the Diamondbacks, Mets, Mariners and Orioles this year, going a combined 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 29 games. He ended the season with Baltimore, then was claimed off waivers by the Mets on Nov. 6.

New York still has six players eligible for salary arbitration: catcher Francisco Alvarez, right-hander Huascar Brazobán, right-hander Reed Garrett, right-hander Tylor Megill, left-hander David Peterson and catcher Luis Torrens.

Garrett and Megill are recovering from Tommy John surgery and are expected to miss most or all of next season.

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