Former Dodgers World Series champion, 35, suddenly cut before Opening Day
Veteran utility player Chris Taylor has only played 30 games with the Los Angeles Angels since he was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers in May 2025. A left hand fracture interrupted Taylor’s first season in Anaheim. He re-signed with the Angels in February, hoping to make the club with a strong spring training.
MORE: Dodgers sign 28-year-old free agent immediately after WBC run Taylor proceeded to slash . 231. 388/.
410 in 15 Cactus League games. That reportedly wasn’t enough — not enough for the Angels, at least — and Taylor was informed he would not be making the team’s Opening Day roster. According to multiple reports March 20, Taylor opted out of his contract with the Angels, leaving him free to sign with another club less than a week before Opening Day.
Taylor played for the Dodgers from 2016-25, winning two World Series championships along the way. Taylor’s . 798 OPS in 16 Cactus League games is his highest since 2022.
For another team to take a flier on him, they must believe the 35-year-old utility player can hit continue to hit better than his 66 OPS+ (when healthy) over the last two seasons. Taylor was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2021 and the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 National League Championship Series. In — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead — MARCH MADNESS: Predicting March Madness upsets in the 2026 NCAA Tournament NFL DRAFT: New Mel Kiper NFL mock draft shows major impact of free agency MLB: Dodgers announce Shohei Ohtani’s spring training pitching debut NHL: Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl out for regular season with lower-body injury ENTERTAINMENT: Is ‘Bachelorette’ still airing amid Taylor Frankie Paul domestic dispute allegations?