5 teams most likely to steal Chris Taylor from the Dodgers

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.

4. Minnesota Twins

Chris Taylor has former teammates in Kenta Maeda and Kyle Garlick on the Minnesota Twins and that could help bridge the gap between LA and Minnesota. In fact, you’re going to see a trend in this article where the rest of the teams remaining roster at least one former teammate of Taylor’s.

That wasn’t completely intentional — the Dodgers just have plenty of former players scattered throughout the league. It’s hard to really narrow it down.

The Twins are coming off a very disappointing 2021 season, but it doesn’t take much to convince themselves that they can contend once more with the right additions, especially in a (largely) weak AL Central. Bryon Buxton was playing  out of his mind before injuries ended his season, so it’s not like Minnesota doesn’t have a star to build around.

The pitching staff is going to need some work, but the Twins have some highly-touted young arms that are either already with the big-league club or will be soon arriving to help fill out a talented rotation.

The Twins can easily make room for Taylor in the everyday starting lineup as well. With Josh Donaldson likely transitioning to DH, Taylor can start at third base with Royce Lewis at shortstop and Jorge Polanco at second.

Against right-handed pitching, the Twins can get Luis Arraez into the lineup and have Taylor play left field, which is a big area of weakness for them.

3. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were another team that we tabbed as a potential threat to sign away Seager and they should be considered a suitor for Taylor as well. The logic is the same for the Blue Jays with both signings: they would be Marcus Semien replacements in some capacity.

However, Taylor seems to make more sense than Seager when it comes to being a Semien replacement. Seager would have to play third base for that to work in Toronto, and while he would add lineup balance as a left-handed hitter, he’s probably going to cost a lot more than Semien.

If the Blue Jays are going to pay that much for Seager then they are probably going to prioritize bringing Semien back first. Of course, Semien could decide to leave on his own, but it’s more likely that he gets priced out of Toronto and the Blue Jays opt for a cheaper alternative.

Taylor would be just that and would fit in seamlessly at second base. The Blue Jays could keep Cavan Biggio at third base and have Taylor be the full-time second baseman while also providing the ability to go play in the outfield if need be.

Taylor isn’t Semien, but when we are talking about consolation prizes that aren’t as expensive, he’s probably the best option for Toronto.

And as far as former teammates are concerned, Taylor is familiar with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ross Stripling and Breyvic Valera (remember him?).

2. Boston Red Sox

Talk about a team that has ties to the Dodgers. The Boston Red Sox are employing two former Dodgers in their lineup in Enrique Hernandez and Alex Verdugo in addition to right-hander, Nathan Eovaldi (who was on the Dodgers long before Taylor).

The Red Sox have reportedly already shown interest in Taylor this offseason and it would be frustrating as a fan to see yet another utility player head to Boston to get more money and playing time.

Hernandez had the best season of his career with the Red Sox in 2021, proving right the theory that he’s a valuable bat if he just gets consistent playing time and isn’t concerned about his role.

As for Taylor, he’d probably be utilized in Boston exactly how he’s been in LA.

Hernandez ended up playing mostly center field for the Red Sox last season and Taylor could be the team’s first option in the corner outfield spots if either Verdugo or Hunter Renfroe get hurt. Renfroe also isn’t the most consistent hitter, so we could see Taylor getting starts in the outfield sporadically just for that reason.

Taylor would also fill in at second base, which is currently manned by Christian Arroyo, who is not exactly an MLB-caliber starter. Between injuries, nights off and cold hitters, Taylor will get plenty of time with the Red Sox just like he has with the Dodgers.

However, because there’s not a bonafide role for him etched out like some of the other teams, it’s hard to consider the Red Sox as the no. 1 option.