Chris Taylor Landing Spots: 3 potential destinations for former All-Star after being DFA'd by the Dodgers

In a shock move, the Los Angeles Dodgers have designated utility star Chris Taylor for assignment. The move came as a surprise as Taylor has been a part of the team for close to a decade. It has been a rough season for the former All-Star as he's just talled seven hits and two RBIs in 35 at-bats.

Taylor was traded to the Dodgers on June 19, 2016 in a deal that involved Zach Lee going to the Mariners. Since his arrival in Hollywood, the 34-year-old has compiled a decent resume consisting of an NLCS MVP award in 2017, an All-Star selection in 2021, and two World Series titles in 2020 and 2024.

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With Chris Taylor being designated for assignment, a team contending for the postseason who needs the presence of a playoff veteran will certainly be beneficial for both parties.

Three best landing spots for Chris Taylor

#3 New York Yankees

Although the squad is still spoiled for choices, a platoon bat who can be deployed in several parts of the field would be ideal for the current AL pennant holders. Taylor has been deployed in all field positions throughout his MLB career except for first baseman and catcher.

With the squad being marginally short in the corner outfield roles and an veteran when it comes to postseason baseball, Chris Taylor would certainly be an ideal fit for the Yankees.

#2 Minnesota Twins

At the time of writing, the Minnesota Twins are currently embrolied in an AL Central battle against the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians, and Kansas City Royals. With the Tigers boasting a 30-16 record, the Twins, Guardians and Royals, are just within 1.5 games of each other for the second spot in the division.

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Just a few days ago, team stars Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton were placed on the concussion protocol after a collision in the outfield. Knowing the laundry list of injuries that the two has compiled over the years, a steady back up like Chris Taylor might just be what the Twins need for a playoff push.

#1 Boston Red Sox

A move to the Red Sox would reunite Taylor with his former Dodger teammate Walker Buehler. Boston is currently flailing in second place of their division and injuries to Trison Casas, Masataka Yoshida, and Romy Gonzalez have certainly tied the hands of skipper Alex Cora.

Currently, the team only has two active first basemen, two third basemen, and five rotating outfielders. If two of the listed players go down with an injury, it would be certainly calamitous for the squad that aim to make a postseason run this year.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago