The New York Mets have signed veteran Mike Tauchman to a minor league contract, adding him to the competition for the right field position.

MLB’s official site reports that the New York Mets have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran Mike Tauchman today, adding another contender to the right field battle, though the team has not officially announced the signing.

Once the deal takes effect, the 35-year-old Tauchman will be the 73rd player in the Mets’ major league spring training roster.

Last season, Tauchman played 93 games for the Chicago White Sox, posting an OPS of 0.756. Primarily a right fielder, he also served as a designated hitter. He is known for his elite plate discipline, ranking better than 84% of players in walk rate in 2025, after an even higher 98% the previous year. Over eight seasons with the Rockies, Yankees, Giants, Cubs, and White Sox, Tauchman has a career on-base percentage of 0.347 and an OPS of 0.727.

Tauchman’s addition complicates the path for the Mets’ No. 2 prospect Carson Benge to make the opening day roster. While the Mets intend to give Benge ample opportunities, he has only played 24 games above Double-A and has struggled. Tauchman provides a fallback option if Benge cannot perform at the major league level.

Other contenders for the right field spot include defensive specialist Tyrone Taylor (OPS of 0.598 last season) and infielder-turned-outfielder Brett Baty, who is currently learning to play corner outfield during spring training.

Tauchman is known for his defense and had his best season offensively and defensively in 2019 with the Yankees, posting a 3.9 bWAR, a batting average of .277, slugging percentage of .504, 13 home runs, and saving 19 defensive runs in the outfield. Since returning from the Hanwha Eagles in 2022, his hitting has become more consistent, maintaining an OPS around 0.720.