The Minnesota Twins have succeeded in strengthening the outfield.

MLB.com, the official website of the Major League Baseball (MLB), reported on the 24th (Korean time) that Minnesota acquired Michael Taylor (32) through a trade with the Kansas City Royals. Minnesota gave away right-handed pitcher Stephen Cruz (24) and left-handed pitcher Evan Sisk (26) as compensation for the trade.

Cruz, a native of the Dominican Republic, played 46 games in Double-A minor leagues last season out of the bullpen. His record was 1 win, 4 losses, 4 saves, and an ERA of 5.63. Sisk went 5-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 50 games in minor league Double-A and Triple-A. Both players were highly anticipated prospects in Minnesota as specialist bullpen resources. 스포츠토토

The reason Minnesota gave up two pitching prospects is because Taylor is so valuable. Taylor, who made his big league debut with the Washington Nationals in 2014, has a batting average of 0.241, 74 home runs, and 281 RBIs in his career (9 years). In 2017, he exploded 19 home runs, his personal best in a single season. In 2021, the first season of his transfer to Kansas City, he even received the Gold Glove (GG) for the American League (AL) outfield part. That year, his batting average was 0.244, and his OPS, a combination of on-base percentage (0.297) and slugging percentage (0.356), was also poor at 0.653, but the defense made up for the lack of offense. Last season’s batting performance (124 games, 0.254 batting average) was also below expectations, but Minnesota recruited him because of ‘defense’ after all.

MLB.com said, “Taylor’s role is important as Byron Buxton’s right-handed hitter insurance.” Buxton is Minnesota’s leading hitter, but he struggles with injuries every year. It was the same last year too. He hit 28 home runs, the most in a single season for an individual, but only appeared in 92 games. MLB.com predicted Taylor’s use, saying, “If Buxton is healthy, he can be an important consideration as a corner outfielder option or as a defensive replacement in the second half.”

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