After going unsigned the entire offseason, former Gold Glove winner Michael A. Taylor agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Jeff Passan of ESPN, who posted the news on X (formerly Twitter), says the deal is worth $4 million.
The deal is pending a physical.
Center fielder Michael A. Taylor and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a one-year, $4 million contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 15, 2024
The outfielder spent last season with the Minnesota Twins. He batted .220, blasted a career-high 21 home runs, drove in 51 runs, and stole 13 bases.
Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
He has spent parts of 10 seasons in the major leagues with the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, and Twins. His best offensive season was with the Nationals in 2019. He recorded 19 homers and 53 RBIs while batting .271. He also won the 2019 World Series with the Nationals.
Defensively, he was at the top of his game in Kansas City where he won his Gold Glove in 2021. He appeared in 139 games as the centerfielder and had a .992 fielding percentage.
Taylor is one of several veterans that Pittsburgh has brought to town this season including Aroldis Chapman, Martin Perez, Rowdy Tellez, Yasmani Grandal, and Eric Lauer.
Taylor has spent most of his career in center field, with that position accounting for 6,248 of his 6,964 innings. This could mean that the Pirates will move Jack Suwinski to right field to make room for the 32-year-old. Bryan Reynolds is expected to be in left field.
Jack Suwinski on maybe moving to RF with Michael A. Taylor in the fold: “Whenever they need me. Just play where they put me. … I’ve never met [Taylor]. I’m excited to have him. I know everyone will welcome him with open arms.”
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) March 16, 2024
Pittsburgh is desperately searching for a way to compete for the entire season. Last year, the Pirates were in first place and then quickly faded by June. They finished in fourth place in National League Central and 16 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
The players most affected by this move are Edward Olivares and Joshua Palacios. Neither has had a good spring. Olivares was acquired from the Royals this offseason and entering Friday’s game was 4 for his last 14. Palacios has dealt with a leg injury and an illness that has limited his spring training action.
Regardless of who the Pirates select for their reserve outfielder, they got better by agreeing to terms with Taylor. He is a veteran with experience and plays excellent defense.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.