The Los Angeles Dodgers reached agreement Wednesday with versatile All-Star Chris Taylor on a four-year, $60 million deal that includes a club option for a fifth season, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Taylor, 31, earned his first All-Star selection with the Dodgers in 2021, hitting .254 with 20 home runs, 73 RBIs and 13 steals. He saw the majority of his playing time as a center fielder and at second base, but he also saw action at the other outfield positions as well as shortstop and third base.
He long has been revered by his Dodgers teammates and coaches for his defensive versatility, offensive approach and quiet professionalism. Since the start of the 2017 season, Taylor has appeared in 88% of the Dodgers’ games, has played six positions, has batted .265/.343/.461 and has accumulated 14.1 FanGraphs wins above replacement.
Taylor had received a qualifying offer worth $18.4 million for one year, but he turned it down to enter free agency.
Financial terms for Wednesday’s agreement were first reported by The Athletic.
Taylor battled a neck injury down the stretch and struggled his way out of the lineup at the start of October, but he made a huge impact in the postseason for the Dodgers, coming off the bench in the National League Wild Card Game to hit a two-out, two-run walk-off home run against the St. Louis Cardinals. He followed that with three home runs in an 11-2 victory against the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. His 13 total bases in that game set a Dodgers postseason franchise record.
It was some needed good news for the Dodgers, who had already seen star pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Corey Seager leave for big deals via free agency.
After breaking into the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2014, Taylor was traded to the Dodgers in 2016. In his six-plus seasons in Los Angeles, he hit .264.
ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com