KANSAS CITY -- After spending a majority of the 2021 season with the Angels, front office executive Gene Watson is returning to the Royals.

Watson was tabbed as vice president/assistant general manager of Major League scouting, the club announced on Friday.

Watson previously served as a senior advisor to the general manager/Major League operations with the Angels’ Perry Minasian, whom Watson has known since Minasian was a kid growing up in the Dallas area.

Watson was a Royals executive and scout for 14 years, joining the organization in 2006 as a Major League scout and later promoted to coordinator of pro scouting in ’08, and then director of pro scouting in ’12. Watson has also scouted for the Marlins -- where he earned a World Series ring in 2003 -- Braves and Padres, while also serving as a member of several USA Baseball selection committees.

Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore first hired Watson when they were with the Braves in 2000. Watson got his second World Series ring in 2015 with Moore and the Royals.

“I feel very fortunate that we were able to bring Gene back to our organization,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in a statement. “He was an integral part in building our club to the championship level we experienced during his first stint here and I have no doubt he’ll have a huge influence in our future success.”

Watson joins a restructured Royals front office following the promotions of Picollo to GM and Moore to president of baseball operations earlier this week. There is expected to be more title shuffling and role changes in the front office as the club finished out the 2021 season and heads into the offseason.