By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas City Royals announced Wednesday that centerfielder Michael A. Taylor has signed a two-year extension that will cover the 2022-23 seasons.
The extension is reportedly worth $9 million with $500,000 in incentives.
In 137 games with the Royals this season, Taylor has 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases, and is one game shy of matching his career-high of games played with Washington in 2015.
"My family and I have both enjoyed the city and the organization," Taylor said. "I've been saying all year that it's filled with great people top to bottom and we're looking forward to the years to come."
Taylor has a career-high 56 runs this season and his 52 RBI are his most since recording 53 in 2017.
"For our team to continue to take steps forward and to have Michael A. as a part of it for the next two years will be really, really important," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "As we look to get better and ultimately compete to win our division and be back where want to be, which is in the playoffs competing for a World Series."
Taylor leads the Majors with 21 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, and his 14 outs above average are tied for the Majors lead among all outfielders.
"His line drive rates are above average," Moore said. "He continues to get better in many different areas and can help us win in multiple ways."
Taylor leads all centerfielders with a career-high 11 outfield assists, which are the most by a Royals center fielder since Melky Cabrera had 13 in 2011.
The 30-year-old Taylor signed with Kansas City last offseason as a free agent after spending the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the Washington Nationals, who picked him in the sixth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.
He eventually won a World Series with Washington in 2019. After becoming a free agent at the end of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Taylor said he had certain things in mind when deciding where to go next.
"An organization that's committed to winning," he said. "An organization that's moving in the right direction. Beyond that, just core values are important to me. You want to be somewhere where you look forward to showing up to work every day."