The Los Angeles Dodgers released long-time veteran Chris Taylor on May 18, ending a tenure that spanned parts of 10 seasons.
Taylor found a new home with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, signing a one-year contract that will pay him a prorated MLB minimum salary for 2025. Taylor was immediately inserted into the lineup for his new team the same day he signed, getting the start in center field and going 0-for-3 at the plate.
Taylor’s decision to sign with the Angels made sense for a number of reasons, with the ability to stay in Southern California and the opportunity to earn more consistent playing time.
The Angels can also provide Taylor a degree of familiarity to ease the transition thanks to the presence of former Dodgers teammate Kenley Jansen. The two spent eight years together on the Dodgers and won a World Series as teammates in 2020.
Jansen is excited about the move and hopes that Taylor is given the chance to show that he still belongs, according to Sam Blum of the Athletic:
“Yeah, C.T. man, it’s awesome man,” Jansen said. “When you have a longtime teammate like that coming up, to be back playing with you is awesome. I’m happy to hear that he’s back. It’s nice. It’s nice to have him back. Hopefully he gets his time and showcases who he is.”
Once an important chess piece on the Dodgers’ roster, Taylor’s role with the team had diminished over the years as his performance continued to decline. His 87 games played last year were his fewest in a full season as a member of the Dodgers organization.
Taylor’s struggles the past few seasons continued into this year, as he didn’t find much success at the plate in 28 games with the Dodgers prior to getting released.
Taylor was in the final season of his four-year, $60 million contract, which also included a club option for the 2026 season with a $4 million buyout. After releasing Taylor, the Dodgers have to pay the remaining portion of his $13 million salary for this season plus the buyout for the club option, but with his Angels salary subtracted from the overall total.
Chris Taylor’s best Dodgers highlights
Although Taylor’s Dodgers career ended on a sour note, he had several memorable moments during that time. Among them were a leadoff home run in the 2017 World Series, dramatic catch in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series and walk-off homer in the 2021 Wild Card Game.
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