The Pittsburgh Pirates have added a veteran outfielder to their roster. The Bucs are in agreement on a one-year, $4 million with Michael A. Taylor, as reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Taylor has been around the big leagues for a while. He came up with the Washington Nationals way back in 2014 and played his first full MLB season the following year. The center-fielder spent seven years in DC before signing with the Kansas City Royals, where he played in 2021 and 2022.
2023 saw Taylor suit up for the Minnesota Twins, slashing just .220 to go along with 21 home runs and 51 RBI in 129 contests. The long ball numbers were a career-high however, which is a positive for what he could do with the Pirates.
Taylor's fit in Pittsburgh
The Pirates needed another outfielder. With this move, Taylor will likely slot in as the starting CF while Jack Suwinski likely moves over to right. Taylor, 32, is a Gold Glover and has great speed, a great glove, and a strong arm. He should be able to run down lots of baseballs in the alleys at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh is a young ball club and signing a guy like Taylor gives them some more experience. While he's no spring chicken anymore, the power numbers are definitely something that caught the eye of the Pirates when deciding to ink Taylor to a deal. The former sixth-round pick essentially replaced the injured Byron Buxton last year in Minnesota and did a very nice job of holding it down.
It's actually a bit of a surprise Taylor wasn't signed earlier. After all, there are just two weeks until Opening Day. But, the Pirates will surely be happy they're the team who brought him in. Pittsburgh begins their 2024 campaign on March 28th with a four-game set against the Miami Marlins down in Florida.
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