Angels sign Taylor to a one-year contract, keeping utilityman in Southern California

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels signed Chris Taylor to a one-year contract on Monday, keeping the veteran utilityman in Southern California after he was cut by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Taylor was in the Halos' lineup Monday night against the New York Yankees, batting eighth and playing center field.

“I’m excited to stay home,” Taylor said. “I get to play at home, and I know 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. With my role, I wasn’t getting on the field much. I’m really just looking forward to getting consistent at-bats and playing.”

Taylor hit .200 (7 for 35) in 28 games for the Dodgers before he was released by the World Series champions on May 18, ending his nine-year tenure in Chavez Ravine. He had no clear role for the Dodgers this season before his release, with the defending champions using rookie second baseman Hyeseong Kim and versatile Tommy Edman in the jobs long occupied by Taylor.

“It was emotional,” Taylor said of his release. “I’d been with the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh and hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter.”

Manager Ron Washington said Taylor will play in both the outfield and the infield for the up-and-down Angels, who had won eight of 10 heading into Memorial Day. Taylor has been reunited with former Dodgers teammates Kenley Jansen and Tyler Anderson in Anaheim.

“He brings experience, which is something we need in there,” Washington said. “He's a good piece for those young guys to talk to about how to handle the grind. He's been in the grind with LA, and we want that. We're going to give him an opportunity to see what he's got left.”

The Angels can use all of the veteran help they can get in the infield and the outfield, Washington said. Taylor has played every defensive position except catcher and first base.

Taylor, who turns 35 in August, takes the roster spot of Kyren Paris, who was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake after Sunday's 3-0 loss to Miami. The 23-year-old Paris got off to a spectacular start to the season with five homers and eight RBIs in his first 10 games, but was in a 9-for-85 (.106) slump over the past six weeks.

“We didn't option Paris because of results, because if that was the case, that would have been happening,” Washington said. “He needs to play. He's young. He needs to go get at-bats. He needs to learn to make the adjustments he has to make. I was very impressed with the way he handled himself when things weren't going the way he wanted them to go.”

Taylor's contract with the Angels is worth $518,925, a prorated share of the $760,000 major league minimum. The Dodgers are on the hook for the rest of his $13 million salary, plus the $4 million buyout of the 2026 club option in his $60 million, four-year contract.

The two-time World Series champion believes he can return to the consistent level of play that he hasn't reached since 2023. His OPS since then is .580, precipitously down from his career mark of .749.

“I always attribute it to swing mechanics, and I’ve really been struggling with that,” Taylor said. “I think there’s a lot that goes into it, but I really haven’t had a consistent swing that’s allowed me to put the ball in play and move it forward, so that’s what I’ve been working toward. ... I feel good (now). I haven’t got on the field much, so that’s given me a lot of time to rest and stay fresh.”

Taylor made his major league debut with Seattle in 2014. He became a key player for the Dodgers after he was acquired in a trade for right-hander Zach Lee in 2016 as a dependable contributor all over the diamond with a knack for big hits in tough situations.

Taylor had several memorable postseason moments for the Dodgers, including a walk-off homer that beat St. Louis in the 2021 NL Wild Card Game, three homers in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against Atlanta and a leadoff homer in the 2017 World Series opener against Houston.

Taylor is a .250 hitter with 108 homers and 433 RBIs in 1,093 games over 12 seasons in the majors.

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