Veteran utility man Chris Taylor won't be moving far following his release by the Los Angeles Dodgers; 30.9 miles down Interstate 5, to be exact.
Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Taylor has landed with the Los Angeles Angels roughly a week after the Dodgers let him go. The 2017 NLCS MVP will man center field for his new club against another team that could've used him -- the New York Yankees.
The Yankees could've used Chris Taylor, now they're playing against him in his Angels debut
New York is reportedly "aggressively searching for a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman," according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. They've struggled to fill the void at the hot corner left by Oswaldo Cabrera's gruesome non-contact left leg injury. While Taylor has more experience at other positions, he's a strong Swiss Army Knife defender who can move all around the diamond.
The Yankees have given rookie Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza cracks at replacing Cabrera, which has been problematic for them from an offensive standpoint. Neither are threats in New York's lineup. Cabrera isn't a slugger by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a professional MLB hitter, which arguably cannot be said for his alternatives.
Moreover, Taylor would've enabled the Yanks to end the dismal Pablo Reyes experiment. Fans have been waiting for anyone to take the latter's roster spot, and the newest Angel could've been the move that puts the wheels in motion. Instead, New York will face the ex-Dodger in his first game with the Angels; life comes at you fast.
Taylor was let go by the Dodgers upon Tommy Edman's activation from the 10-day injured list. The one-time All-Star was (briefly) the longest-tenured position player on the reigning World Series winners after they cut backup catcher Austin Barnes four days prior.
The Dodgers willingly parting ways with a valued, longtime franchise member like Taylor reasonably raises red flags. But while he's declining, the decision could be seen as more of a vote of confidence in rookie jack-of-all-trades Hyeseong Kim. Regardless, the Yankees missed an opportunity to add some much-needed infield depth.
