The Los Angeles Dodgers recently parted ways with veteran Chris Taylor, 28 appearances into his 10th season with the team.
Although fans will certainly miss the All-Star utility man, he won’t be too far from Dodger Stadium, as he signed with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Taylor spoke on what it was like to stay in the Greater Los Angeles area in a new uniform.
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“I’m excited to stay home — I get to live at home,” Taylor said. “The Angels have been playing really good baseball, so I’m excited to join the team and hopefully get on the field. That was one thing with the Dodgers this year, just my role, I wasn’t getting on the field that much. So I’m really just looking forward to, like, getting consistent at-bats and playing time.”
Taylor joined a Halos team mere days removed from an eight-game winning streak. The All-Star spoke about how he could contribute to this talented group.
“First and foremost, I want to perform on the field,” Taylor said. “I want to help this team win ballgames. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself. I haven’t performed to how I feel I’m capable of playing the last couple seasons, and I kind of want to turn that around.”
Taylor was hitting .255 from 2016, his first season with the Dodgers, until 2023. The last two seasons have seen a bit more struggle from the utility star.
The veteran has been batting .199 the past two seasons with an abysmal OPS+ of 64, a mark that is 36% below the league average.
Perhaps the change of scenery, but not too drastic of a change, will be good for the veteran as he will see an increased workload in Anaheim. Fans will never forget the countless memories he provided since arriving in L.A., but all that’s left now is to wish him the best of luck on his next chapter, until the next Freeway Series.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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