KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have acquired left-handed pitcher Josh Taylor from the Boston Red Sox for infielder Adalberto Mondesi and a Player to be Named Later.
Taylor, who will be 30 years old on March 2, missed the 2022 season with a back injury. In three seasons at the Major League level with the Red Sox from 2019-21, he pitched to a 3.69 ERA (42 ER in 102.1 IP) in 121 appearances (1 start) with 129 strikeouts (11.3 K/9). Taylor had a streak of 26 consecutive scoreless appearances (21.2 IP) for Boston from April 30-July 5, 2021, the longest such streak for a left-handed pitcher in franchise history. He pitched in 6 of Boston’s 11 postseason games in 2021, recording 3 holds and a 2.25 ERA (1 ER in 4.0 IP).
Taylor has held left-handed batters to a .174 average (28-for-161) and .478 OPS in his career. He was originally signed by Philadelphia as a non-drafted free agent in 2014, then traded to Arizona in 2015. Boston acquired Taylor in 2018 to complete the trade that sent infielder Deven Marrero to the Diamondbacks.
Mondesi, 27, is due to become a free agent after the 2023 season. He was signed by Kansas City as an international free agent in 2011 and has played his entire career in the Royals organization, making his Major League debut in the 2015 World Series. In 2018, Mondesi recorded 14 home runs and 32 stolen bases in just 75 games, while batting .276 with an .804 OPS. The following season, in 2019, he tied for the Major League lead with 10 triples in a career-high 102 games but has played in only 109 games over the last three seasons due to injuries.
