Royals fans should fondly remember this retiring Gold Glove big leaguer

Lorenzo Cain left deep holes in the Kansas City Royals’ outfield and lineup when he left for free agency after the club’s mistake-riddled 2017 season. Gone to the Brewers, with whom he signed an $80 million, multi-year deal not long before 2018 spring training began, were Cain’s blazing speed, competent bat, and stellar defense.

Replacing him proved monumentally difficult — the revolving door that became center field, which Cain had patrolled so well, included Bubba Starling, Abraham Almonte, Brett Phillips, Brian Goodwin, and Billy Hamilton, none of whom worked out.

The Royals’ search for a solution led them early in the 2020-2021 offseason to Michael A. Taylor, a veteran of seven seasons with Washington. Perhaps best known then for his glove, playing on the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship team, and the grand slam he hit during the National League Division Series in 2017, Taylor came inexpensively to Kansas City, but his consistently questionable bat rendered his role with the Royals somewhat uncertain.

Fortunately for Kansas City, Taylor proved more than worthy of the $1.5 million salary they gave him to become a Royal. He gave the Royals two good seasons before they traded him to Minnesota before the 2023 campaign (more on that in a moment). And those two years should be fondly remembered by KC fans when they learn that the game he played for the White Sox Sunday was his last as a major league ballplayer.

Former Royals outfielder Michael A. Taylor is retiring

Taylor revealed his retirement before Chicago’s Sunday season finale against Washington, his old team. Then he went out on a nice note — he reached base on a sixth-inning infield single before leaving the game with one out in the ninth to his former home crowd’s standing ovation.

What he’ll be recalled for in Kansas City, though, is the pair of serviceable seasons he gave the Royals in 2021 and 2022 — especially 2021. It was his first Royals campaign that brought him well-deserved recognition — after so many seasons of playing good big league defense, he won an American League Gold Glove for the excellence with which he solved the center field defensive hole created by Cain’s departure. Taylor led the AL in outfield assists and dWAR.

And he didn’t embarrass himself offensively, hitting 12 homers with 54 RBI and batting .244. He also stole 14 bases.

The Royals unsurprisingly brought him back for the 2022 season. Although he didn’t win another Gold Glove, his center field glovework was still above league average, and he slashed a respectable .254/.313/.357 with nine home runs.

But that campaign proved to be Taylor’s last in Kansas City. Just a few months after the season ended, the club traded him to Minnesota for current Royal Steven Cruz and former Royal Evan Sisk. He moved on to Pittsburgh for the 2024 season, then played for the White Sox this year. He finishes his 12-season major league career with a .232/.238/.379 line, 109 homers, and 128 steals.

And the Gold Glove he won as a Royal.