Twins land ex-outfielder, Tim Collins comeback, Reds sign former Royals

As the Kansas City Royals faithful wait for their next bit offseason business to take place, the rest of baseball world is making headlines, numerous of which tie back to the Royals.

As January enters it’s middle stage, some old friends are finding new homes. Some are on the field, some hoping to come back on the field and some are transitioning to the dugout.

Royals News: Twins sign Michael A. Taylor to join 2026 coaching staff

After announcing his retirement from baseball back in September, former Royals Gold Glove center fielder Michael A. Taylor appears to be entering the next chapter of his baseball career.

According to Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune, the Twins are reportedly hiring Taylor as an outfield instructor.

“Taylor, 34, is expected to be around the team for two weeks during spring training, and he is planning to visit all their minor league affiliates during the season,” Nightengale wrote. “The role will give Taylor a chance to assess whether he wants to enter coaching afterward.”

Taylor is no stranger to Minnesota, having spent the 2023 season there after his Royals tenure two year Royals tenure. In that season with the Twins he slashed .220/.278/.442 with 21 HR, 51 RBI, 13 SB and a 93 wRC+.

As Royal, on top of his 2021 Gold Glove, Taylor slashed .249/.304/.357 with 21 HR and 97 RBI in 984 plate appearances across the ’21 and ’22 campaigns.

Royals News: Former KC reliever Tim Collins eyeing MLB comeback

Sticking with former Royals in the coaching sphere, while Taylor is toying with the idea of transitioning from coaching to playing, former Royals reliever is Tim Collins had already made that transition and now seems to be eyeing a comeback to the mound.

According to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic, “Collins is pursuing a comeback” having last pitched as a big league pitcher during Spring Training in 2020.

Collins spent 2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies organization serving as a minor league hitting coach. He not only last pitched in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs in 2019 but that season also happened to be his last time pitching in affiliated ball outside Spring Training.

The now 36-year-old southpaw spent the bulk of his career with the Royals pitching with the Royals from 2011 to 2014, sporting a respectable 3.54 ERA in 211.0 innings pitched across 228 games.

Royals News: Reds sign pair of former KC regulars to MiLB deals

Rounding things off with the more traditional instance of old friends finding new homes a pair of former Royals have joined forces in Cincinnati.

The Reds announced on Sunday that they’d signed utility man Garrett Hampson to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training.

And as Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors also reports, former Royals reliever Josh Staumont’s official player page on MLB.com indicates that he too has signed a minor league with the Reds.

Hampson is coming off a dreadfully poor 2025 season where he posted just a 26 wRC+ bouncing around three teams, the Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals.

His time in Kansas City was also less than ideal with a 60 wRC+, however he did manage to make an impact when the lights were shining brightest, coming up big in Game 1 of the 2024 ALDS versus the Yankees with a pinch-hit two-RBI base knock in the eighth inning, which was even featured in this year’s MLB The Show Postseason Past Program back in September.

Then there’s Staumont, who last pitched in the major leagues with Minnesota back in 2024, throwing to a 3.70 ERA in 25 games.

Before that he spent five seasons with the Royals from 2019 to 2023, throwing to a 4.01 ERA, 4.00 FIP and 1.38 WHIP in 168.1 innings pitched across 169 appearances.