Former Yankees fan favorite outfielder leaves Mets to become MLB free agent

The New York Mets lost outfield depth in the organization on Wednesday. An eight-year Major League veteran was granted his release after he triggered the opt-out clause in his contract. According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, left-handed hitter Mike Tauchman is now a free agent after the Mets released the 35-year-old from his minor league deal. "Mike Tauchman exercised the out in his Mets contract and is now an ex-Met," Heyman wrote on X. It's an interesting way for Heyman to report Tauchman's decision, given that he stated the obvious. Tauchman had a breakout season in a fourth outfielder role with the New York Yankees in 2019, hitting a career-high 13 home runs with an .865 OPS while accumulating a 3.9 bWAR in just 87 games. That remains the best offensive season of Tauchman's caree