The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated Tommy Edman from the injured list ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Angels as they look to avoid the sweep. But in one fell swoop, the front office absolutely laid the hammer down in the corresponding move.
Chris Taylor was designated for assignment to make room for Edman on the active roster, as the fans' calls have been answered. In all honesty, the move was coming at some point after Hyeseong Kim immediately started raking upon his promotion.
This marks the second momentous DFA the last few days for the Dodgers, as longtime backstop Austin Barnes got the boot earlier in the week. In some ways, this is an end of an era in LA.
Despite his recent drop-off, Taylor is a Dodgers legend. He came off the scrap heap when the Mariners gave up on him and turned into an All-Star in LA. His postseason success also helped lift the Dodgers to modern relevancy, in addition to a 2020 World Series.
Chris Taylor DFA'd in long expected (and needed) move by the Dodgers
But unfortunately for the 34-year-old, his time was up. He's largely been unplayable since 2022 after falling off a cliff following his All-Star 2021 campaign. And it's all come to a head the previous two years.
In 2024, Taylor registered a -0.1 WAR in 87 games with equal struggles on both sides of the ball. In 2025, across just 35 plate appearances, he was worth -0.5 WAR. Since the start of 2022, totaling 350 games, Taylor's only been good for 1.6 WAR. The Dodgers have managed to succeed despite that because of the way they built their flexible and versatile roster.
Truth be told, the way fans found out about this move was sad. It was reported Sunday morning that Taylor didn't have a locker in the Dodgers clubhouse, and moments later it was revealed the organization had cut ties.
But in the end this is yet another example of the Dodgers' necessary aggression in untenable situations. They non-tendered Cody Bellinger after the 2022 season when it wasn't working for them. They let Justin Turner go that same offseason. They didn't re-sign Walker Buehler after he helped them win a World Series just a few months prior. And now it's Barnes and Taylor, both of whom have been with the organization dating back to 2016, to get shown the door.