The Los Angeles Dodgers made the tough decision to release utility man Chris Taylor, though he quickly landed on his feet with the crosstown rivals in the Los Angeles Angels.
He signed with the Angels on Monday on a one-year, $760,000 contract for the rest of the season, which subsequently led to the promising prospect Kyren Paris being demoted to Triple-A.
Now, Taylor gets to stay home in Los Angeles, and he is also reunited with former Dodger Kenley Jansen.
After the move was announced, Jansen was happy to have a familiar face and another veteran presence in the locker room.
“Yeah, CT man, it’s awesome man. Every time you have a longtime teammate like that coming back and playing with you, it’s awesome, man,” Jansen said to reporters including MLB.com writer Rhett Bollinger.
“Hopefully, he gets his time to showcase who he is. He still has a lot left in his tank. So I think once he gets more playing time here, it’s going to be great for the organization and help us win ballgames.”
The Dodgers, especially given how beloved Taylor was in the clubhouse, did not want to get rid of their veteran utility man, who was happy to come in when needed.
It was Hyeseong Kim’s breakout performances after the roster was hit with injuries that essentially forced the team’s hand.
Taylor has provided several clutch moments for the Dodgers over his tenure, coming up big for the team when needed. He never really put together a year of monster production, but he always managed to consistently come in and out of the lineup, putting the organization ahead of himself.
The team had to make a similar move when they released catcher Austin Barnes to promote promising prospect Dalton Rushing, prioritizing the development of their younger players who are seemingly ready to contribute immediately.
Taylor struggled to get on the field for the Dodgers, especially since the emergence of Hyeseong Kim, and now he gets the chance to feature regularly on a team that is still trying to find its footing.
Several key players for the Angels have been incredibly inconsistent — having slumps at different points in the season — which should open the door for Taylor to plug a lot of holes for the Halos.
