The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up top prospect Miguel Vargas, which could spell some big trouble for super utility man Chris Taylor.
There is no word on whether or not Vargas will be activated on Friday, and no official corresponding move has been revealed just yet, via reporter Francys Romero. The Dodgers are also reinstating outfielder Jason Heyward from the injured list, so they will need to clear two roster spots.
James Outman, Andy Pages and Gavin Lux all have options, and there is the possibility that the laboring Taylor could be DFA'd, per Noah Camras of Dodgers Nation.
This will represent Vargas' third time in the big leagues. He was initially signed by the Dodgers as an international free agent back in 2017 and was first called up to the majors in 2022. He played in 18 games that season, slashing .170/.200/.255 with one home run and eight RBI over 50 plate appearances.
The 24-year-old received considerably more playing time last year and struggled, slashing .195/.305/.367 with seven long balls and 32 RBI across 304 trips to the dish. He was ranked a top-40 prospect in baseball heading into 2022 and top-30 going into 2023, but after not showing much on the big-league level, he was removed from most top-100 lists before 2024.
Still, Los Angeles has hope for Vargas. He has been tearing it up at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, registering a slash line of .295/.437/.583 with eight dingers and 38 RBI through 181 plate appearances. He owns a lifetime minor-league slash line of .309/.395/.494.
So, just why is this bad news for Taylor?
Chris Taylor has been miserable for the Dodgers in 2024
Since being acquired by the Dodgers in 2016, Taylor has been a fixture on the roster.
His versatility has been paramount to Los Angeles' success, as Taylor is capable of playing multiple positions in the infield and the outfield. He has also been a reliable hitter for LA throughout the vast majority of his Dodgers tenure, with his best season probably coming in 2021 when he slashed .254/.344/.438 with 20 homers and 73 RBI en route to an All-Star appearance.
However, this season, Taylor has been absolutely abysmal.
The 33-year-old has played in 26 games thus far in 2024, slashing .083/.211/.083 with no extra-base hits and just five RBI. He has just five hits on the year in total and has 30 strikeouts to just nine walks. Taylor has been so awful, as a matter of fact, that he lays claim to a minus-0.8 WAR thus far.
The call-up of Vargas could ultimately result in the end of Taylor's tenure in Hollywood, as there really is no need to keep him on the roster if he is going to continue to struggle like this. The writing actually appeared to be on the wall for Taylor two years ago, when he recorded a .677 OPS, by far his lowest as a member of the Dodgers. But, the Virginia Beach native rebounded in 2023, slashing a respectable .237/.326/.420 with 15 homers and 56 RBI. Even still, it was clear he was no longer the same hitter from several years ago.
In spite of Taylor's struggles, Los Angeles has probably been the best offensive team in baseball this season, ranking second in batting average, first in OPS, third in home runs and No. 1 in runs scored. So, as much as the Dodgers would like to have vintage Taylor back, it's pretty clear they no longer need him.
Vargas has been raking in the minor leagues, and even if he comes up and posts similar numbers to what he did last year, he would still be superior to Taylor at this point. Plus, he is very young and has room to grow. Meanwhile, Taylor is pretty clearly on a steep decline.
We could be witnessing the end for Taylor in LA.
