Taylor loses arbitration case, will earn $3.25 million this season

Michael A. Taylor lost his arbitration case against the Nationals, with a panel of three independent judges ruling the outfielder will earn $3.25 million this season instead of the $3.5 million he was seeking, a source familiar with the decision confirmed.

Taylor and the Nationals presented their cases before the panel Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla., the first of 13 arbitration hearings between major league clubs and players currently scheduled to take place over the next two weeks.

Kyle Barraclough is the Nationals' only other player scheduled for an arbitration hearing. The reliever, who was acquired from the Marlins in October, is seeking $2 million. The team has offered $1.725 million. The two sides are free to negotiate and settle on terms on their own before going before the panel.

Fancred's Jon Heyman was first to report the outcome of Taylor's case.

The Nats haven't gone to arbitration often during their history, certainly not in recent years. Taylor was their first player to go to a hearing since Jerry Blevins in 2015. (For what it's worth, the club promptly traded Blevins - who won his case - to the Mets one month later.)

Overall, this was only the 10th time the Nationals have gone to arbitration in 15 years.

Taylor, who made $2.525 million last season in his first year of arbitration eligibility, regressed from his breakthrough 2017, hitting just .227 with six homers, 28 RBIs and a .644 OPS over 385 plate appearances in 2018. The emergence of rookie Juan Soto and the eventual return to health of veteran Adam Eaton left Taylor rarely getting a chance to start in August and September, even though he was far and away the club's best defensive outfielder.

Despite Taylor's offensive struggles, Major League Baseball's salary structure still set him up for a guaranteed raise in 2019. Just not as much of a raise as he desired.