The annual MLB Winter Meetings have concluded, but not much came from it for the Los Angeles Dodgers or any other club.
The industry is still waiting on the decision of Shohei Ohtani, with the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays presumed to be the finalists for his services and a decision likely to come within the next few days.
While the Dodgers wait to see if they will add the two-way superstar, they have continued to explore options to upgrade the rest of their roster.
The focus has been on their starting rotation, but they have also explored the market for available hitters as they search for a left-handed hitting outfielder and a right-handed hitter.
A reunion with Kiké Hernández remains possible, but the Dodgers have also checked in on Michael A. Taylor, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
The Dodgers have also shown interest in Michael A. Taylor, who had a .720 OPS in 129 games for the Minnesota Twins last year and has a career .746 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Taylor has spent 10 seasons at the Major League level, most notably with the Washington Nationals, where he played for seven years. In 2021, Taylor moved on to the Kansas City Royals, and he spent the past season with the Minnesota Twins.
Taylor, who will be 33 years old by Opening Day, has not provided much value with his bat in an everyday role, but ranks among the best defenders in baseball with great speed on the base paths.
This past season, Taylor hit .220/.278/.442 with a career-high 21 home runs, along with 38 runs scored, 51 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a 96 wRC+. It was Taylor’s most productive season since 2017, when he had a 104 wRC+ and hit .271/.320/.486 with 19 home runs.
Despite the 21 home runs, Taylor ranked poorly across the board of batted ball profile statistics, aside from his barrel rate, which ranked in the 88th percentile of players.
Defensively, Taylor was in the 94th percentile of outs above average with nine total, and his average strength of 91.5 mph ranked in the 90th percentile.
Over his career, Taylor has hit .239/.294/.389 with an 82 wRC+, 95 home runs, 359 runs scored, 332 RBI and 108 stolen bases.
What role would Michael A. Taylor play on Dodgers?
If signed, Taylor would likely slot into a platoon role with one of the left-handed hitting corner outfielders and provide depth in center field.
Against left-handed pitching, Taylor hit .252/.313/.602 with a 146 wRC+, which makes him an intriguing partner to pair with Jason Heyward in right field.
The Dodgers could also start him in center field against left-handed pitching while moving Outman to right field to upgrade their defense even further, if they so choose.
Regardless of how they position their defense, Taylor is an elite platoon player against left-handed pitching, and would provide the Dodgers with a strong option for their bench.
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