The Los Angeles Dodgers are the reigning World Series champion and they will have some tough decisions to make with their roster.
The Dodgers have had an active offseason and now former All-Star utility man Chris Taylor will enter spring training in a competition for a roster spot. According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Taylor will compete with outfielder Andy Pages for a roster spot.
“Utility man Chris Taylor, 34, is the second-longest tenured Dodger behind catcher Austin Barnes (Clayton Kershaw will bump each of them down once he re-signs with the team),” Rosenthal wrote. “His exact role, however, is again uncertain, particularly with the pending return of Hernández.
“Taylor, entering the final year of a four-year, $60 million deal, would appear in competition for a roster spot with outfielder Andy Pages, who has minor-league options remaining. As he approaches another crossroads, he is intent on rebounding from his .202 batting average and .598 OPS in 246 plate appearances last season,” Rosenthal added.
As Rosenthal wrote, Taylor is entering the final year of his four-year $60 million deal. If he doesn’t make the roster, he would be a trade candidate for the Dodgers as he can be a valuable player on an MLB team.
Taylor was an All-Star in 2021 while being a two-time World Series champion. He hit .202 with 4 home runs and 23 RBIs in 87 games last season. In the playoffs, he hit .231 in just 13 ABs.
Taylor Frustrated With Last Few Years
Taylor has been an impactful player for the Dodgers in the past, but he has struggled over the last few years.
The utility man has struggled at the plate and he says he hasn’t been playing at the level he wants to. However, he says he is motivated to have a bounceback year in 2025 and prove he’s still an impactful MLB player.
“The last few years have not been up to the level I want,” Taylor said. “I don’t think that’s anything physical or my age. I think it’s more mechanical. For me, I’m definitely motivated to bounce back and kind of get back to where I was four or five years ago.”
Taylor was an impactful player for the Dodgers from 2017 until 2021 but his last three years have been the worst three statistically of his tenure with Los Angeles.
Dodgers Bring Back Former GM
Los Angeles made a move to its front office as the Dodgers hired Farhan Zaidi, The Athletic reported.
Zaidi had been serving as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants. But, the team let him go after the 2024 season. Since he was let go, it was rumored he would return to the Dodgers, and now it has happened.
According to The Athletic, Zaidi will work as a special advisor in the organization. He will also assist Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter with his other sports interests. Which, include the Los Angeles Lakers (where Walter holds a minority ownership stake), the Los Angeles Sparks, Chelsea Football Club and the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Zaidi served as the Dodgers GM from 2014 until 2018 as he helped the team reach back-to-back World Series but Los Angeles lost both of them.
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