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Chris Taylor, Dodgers Reportedly Agree to 4-Year, $60M Contract in MLB Free Agency
Dec 1, 2021
Los Angeles Dodgers' Chris Taylor flies out to end the third inning, stranding three runners during Game 4 of the baseball team's National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Chris Taylor has agreed to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a four-year, $60 million contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal noted the deal includes a fifth-year option worth $13 million.
ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to report on the two sides making progress toward a deal. Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Audacy added that Taylor and the Dodgers were in "serious talks" about a multi-year deal.
The eight-year veteran hit .254 (.782 OPS) with 20 home runs, 73 RBI and 13 stolen bases for the Dodgers in 2021, a year that marked his first-ever All-Star Game appearance.
Over his career, he's split time at shortstop, center field, left field and second base. He's also played a bit at third base and right field as well. Taylor mostly played left and center for the Dodgers this past season.
The 31-year-old's MLB career started with the Seattle Mariners in 2014. The M's dealt Taylor to the Dodgers in 2016, and since he's helped L.A. become the best team in baseball over the past five seasons.
He's been a full-time member of the lineup since the 2017 season and hit .265 (.804 OPS) with 78 home runs and 292 RBI for the Dodgers since that year.
This year, Taylor came through in the clutch multiple times.
He smacked a two-run walkoff homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2021 Wild Card Game to vault his team to the National League Division Series.
The 106-win Dodgers ended up losing that series in six games.
ESPN's Alden Gonzalez explained what this deal meant to the Dodgers in light of already losing starting pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Corey Seager in free agency:
To say that the Dodgers love Chris Taylor would be an understatement. And while it might not make up for the losses of Max Scherzer and Corey Seager, bringing him back is a major development that greatly alters the dynamic of their position-player group.
And now he'll be sticking around even longer after agreeing to terms with L.A.
Corey Seager, Rangers Reportedly Agree to 10-Year, $325M Contract in MLB Free Agency
Nov 29, 2021
Los Angeles, CA - October 20: Los Angeles Dodgers Corey Seager catches his breath while warming up before game four in the 2021 National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Corey Seager is reportedly on the move.
The star shortstop agreed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers on Monday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
This is just the latest in what has been a busy week for the Rangers, as they reportedly added infielder Marcus Semien, pitcher Jon Gray and outfielder Kole Calhoun on Sunday.
In a span of about 24 hours, the Texas Rangers have committed half a billion dollars to sign Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Just like that, they’ve got the best middle infield in baseball as they start their rebuild.
Seager, 27, had another excellent year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021, hitting .306 with 16 homers, 57 RBI, 54 runs and a .915 OPS in 95 games. A broken fifth metacarpal in his right hand cost him a big chunk of the season, but he was productive as ever when healthy.
But unlike last year, when his torrid bat in the postseason (.328 with eight homers, 20 RBI, 20 runs and a 1.171 OPS) helped lead the Dodgers to a title, he hit just .188 for L.A. in this season's playoffs, which was a factor in the team's loss to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.
When Seager has been able to avoid injury, he's emerged as one of the best shortstops in baseball and a potent threat at the plate. In a loaded free-agency class at the position—Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Javier Baez and Marcus Semien also hit the market—Seager was always primed for a major payday.
The Dodgers were in the market to retain him, but their current estimated payroll of $193.0 million is already the second-highest mark in baseball, per Spotrac. And Seager wasn't the team's only high-profile free agent, with Chris Taylor and Clayton Kershaw also hitting the market.
So the Dodgers' loss is the Rangers' gain. It's a good day in Texas.
Seager will be a major upgrade over Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who handled shortstop duties for the team last year and did an admirable job. And don't expect the Rangers to be finished in free agency just yet as they look to rebuild on the fly.
