ESPN: The Yankees regret losing out on former Dodgers fan favorite utility player to close rival.
Signing this former Dodgers veteran would have allowed New York to accomplish two goals at once.
After being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers, veteran utility player Chris Taylor won’t be traveling far—just 30.9 miles down Interstate 5.
The Los Angeles Angels signed Taylor about a week after the Dodgers released him, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 2017 NLCS MVP will play center field for his new team against the New York Yankees, another team that could have benefited from his presence.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s horrific non-contact left leg injury left the Yankees “aggressively searching for a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman,” according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Although Taylor has more experience at other positions, he is a strong Swiss Army Knife defender who can move all over the diamond.
The Yankees’ offensive performance has suffered as a result of giving rookie Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza a chance to replace Cabrera. In New York’s lineup, neither poses a danger. Although Cabrera isn’t a slugger by any means, he is a professional MLB batter, something that may not be true of his options.
Additionally, Taylor would have allowed the Yanks to put a stop to the disappointing Pablo Reyes experiment. Supporters have been waiting for someone to replace the latter on the team, and the addition of the newest Angel could have been the catalyst. Life moves quickly, therefore New York will instead play the former Dodger in his debut game with the Angels.
When Tommy Edman was activated off the 10-day disabled list, Taylor was released by the Dodgers. After the defending World Series champions removed backup catcher Austin Barnes four days earlier, the one-time All-Star was (for a brief period) the position player with the longest stay.
Red flags are naturally raised when the Dodgers voluntarily let go of a cherished, veteran team member like Taylor. Despite his decline, the choice can be interpreted as a vote of confidence in Hyeseong Kim, a rookie who can do a variety of jobs. In any case, the Yankees lost a chance to add some much-needed depth to their infield.
