After a heroic postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chris Taylor is one of the most sought after MLB free agents this offseason. Utility players typically don’t get the biggest of contracts, but Taylor is coming off an All-Star campaign with an unforgettable October that will no doubt help him get some hefty contract offers.
For that reason, Taylor’s time in the Dodger blue appears to be in danger. Andrew Friedman and the front office have bigger fish to fry with Corey Seager, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen also hitting the open market. While the Dodgers could afford a sizable deal for Taylor, they are probably not going to prioritize paying for his market value.
As far as Taylor is concerned, a contending team probably isn’t as important to him as it would be an older free agent. He already has a championship. He’s proven he can take over in the postseason. But he’s never really been a regular starter without injuries granting him the playing time he truly desires.
When surveying the state of the league, there are five teams that stand out as potential suitors for Taylor that could offer him a contract that fulfills his demands with playing time to match.
5. Seattle Mariners
Wouldn’t this be something? The Seattle Mariners are the team that traded Taylor to the Dodgers for former pitching prospect Zach Lee, who ultimately ended up having a very short MLB career.
We mentioned the Mariners as a potential threat to sign Seager away, but if they don’t want to give out the massive contract to him, then it wouldn’t be crazy to see them pay up $60-$70 million for Taylor.
The Mariners are on the rise as a young baseball team that’s definitely capable of making the playoffs in a weakened AL West after surprisingly winning 90 games this past season,
Seattle has a minuscule payroll and has not been shy about giving out decent-sized contracts in the past when they’ve had the opportunity to do so. With Kyle Seager hitting free agency this offseason, the Mariners have a natural starting spot for Taylor at third base.