Pirates add former Gold Glove winner, as CF Michael A. Taylor agrees to 1-year contract

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a defensive upgrade in center field Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4 million contract with former AL Gold Glove winner Michael A. Taylor, sources confirmed to TribLive.

Taylor’s deal, which is pending a physical, gives the Pirates a proven veteran in center field and allows them to play Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski in the corner outfield spots.

Taylor, 32, is a 10-year veteran who played seven seasons with the Washington Nationals — winning the World Series in 2019 — followed by two years with the Kansas City Royals and last season with the Minnesota Twins. Taylor, who won the Gold Glove with the Royals in 2021, has 72 career defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-handed hitter had a career-best 21 home runs last season with the Twins. He batted .220/.278/.442 with 14 doubles and 51 RBIs but also had 130 strikeouts, and his 33.5% strikeout rate and 33.6% whiff rate ranked in the bottom 10th percentile, per Statcast.

Taylor remains an above-average defender, compiling five DRS in 960 1/3 innings last season and ranking in the 98th percentile in arm strength, 94th in range and 84th in sprint speed, at 28.7 feet per second.

Suwinski switched to center last spring but had a minus-10 DRS in 931 1/3 innings over 120 games there last season. The Pirates also used Ji Hwan Bae in center for 62 games to take advantage of his speed, but he’s been out since March 5 because of a left hip flexor.

The Pirates returned Connor Joe and Joshua Palacios and added Billy McKinney and Edward Olivares through trades this offseason, but Taylor’s addition could cost at least a couple of those players a spot on the Opening Day roster.