The KC Royals and new General Manager J.J. Picollo didn’t wait until the offseason to make an offseason-like move Wednesday. In the process, they answered one of the club’s biggest 2022 roster questions.
Center fielder Michael A. Taylor, signed only to a one-year contract set to expire after this season, will return in 2022. The Royals announced a new two-year deal for Taylor this afternoon.
Taylor’s new contract all but assures he’ll start in center next year. Speculation has swirled around the position for months as media and fans alike wondered whether the value of Taylor’s stellar glove could, in the club’s eyes, outweigh his weaker bat.