MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins acquired veteran Michael A. Taylor from the Kansas City Royals Monday night, adding depth and defense to their outfield in exchange for two relief-pitching prospects.
Taylor, 31, struggled for the Royals last season, his second year at the club after spending his first seven major league seasons with the Washington Nationals, hitting nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 414 at-bats.
The Twins sent 23-year-old right-hander Steven Cruz and 25-year-old left-hander Evan Sisk to the Royals.
Taylor’s best offensive season came in 2017 at the Nationals when he hit .271 in 118 games with 19 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .806 OPS. However, its greatest value is in the weed. Taylor was a Gold Glove winner in his Royals debut in 2021 and gives the Twins a third outfielder in their squad to win the award, alongside Byron Buxton (2017) and newcomer Joey Gallo (2020 and 2021).
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Taylor is a natural midfielder who will give the Twins a solid back-up plan behind Buxton, whose injuries have kept him from playing more than 92 games in a season, save for once in eight years in the big leagues.
Gallo can play all three outfield courts, having most of his 2022 experience in left field, where Trevor Larnach will also be involved. Gallo won his Gold Glove Awards as a right fielder. Max Kepler, another strong defender, has been the regular at right field for seven seasons. With the recent departure of AL batting champion Luis Arraez via trade, Alex Kirilloff will take the lead at first base, with Gallo also likely in the mix.
The twins have had an aggressive start to the new year, underscored by the surprise signing of shortstop Carlos Correa after signing deals for him with two other teams. They sent Arraez to Miami to start pitcher Pablo Lopez.
The middle initial “A” in Taylor’s name stands for Anthony. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Taylor was drafted in the sixth round by the Nationals in 2009. He had the initial appended to his name to distinguish him from another Michael Taylor, who played outfield in the major leagues from 2011-’14.
The 6-foot-6 cruz from the Dominican Republic posted a 4-1 win for Double-A Wichita last season with a 5.14 ERA, 35 walks and 72 strikeouts in 56 innings. In 120 minor league career appearances, Cruz has 259 strikeouts in 192⅓ innings.
Originally drafted by St. Louis in the 16th round of 2018 from the College of Charleston, Sisk was split between Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul last season. He went 5-1 with a 1.57 ERA, 29 walks and 76 strikeouts in 63 innings between teams. Sisk was acquired by the Twins in a 2021 trade that sent starting pitcher JA Happ to the Cardinals.