The Los Angeles Angels signed veteran super-utility player Chris Taylor to a major league deal Monday, starting him in center field and in the No. 8 spot of their lineup in a 5-1 loss to the New York Yankees.
Taylor, 34, was released May 18 after a more than nine-year stint with the crosstown Los Angeles Dodgers and sought an opportunity for more frequent playing time. With the Angels, he could become a regular in center field, a hole in their lineup ever since Mike Trout moved to right field.
"He brings experience, which is something we need in there," Angels manager Ron Washington said. "He's a good piece for those young guys to talk to about how to handle the grind. He's been in the grind with L.A., and we want that. We're going to give him an opportunity to see what he's got left."
Taylor went 0-for-3 and made a sprinting catch in the ninth inning against the Yankees.
Kyren Paris, who had been spending most of his time in center, was optioned back to Triple-A to clear a spot for Taylor.
Paris, a second-round draft pick out of high school in 2019, looked like one of the sport's breakout stars early on this season, posting a 1.514 OPS, hitting five home runs and stealing four bases through his first 12 games. But since then he has slumped badly. In the 31 games that followed, Paris posted a .116/.176/.179 slash line, striking out 52 times and drawing only five walks.
"We didn't option Paris because of results, because if that was the case, that would have been happening," Washington said. "He needs to play. He's young. He needs to go get at-bats. He needs to learn to make the adjustments he has to make. I was very impressed with the way he handled himself when things weren't going the way he wanted them to go."
Taylor was a central figure on highly successful Dodgers teams from 2017 to 2023, during which he slashed .256/.336/.444, put up 17.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement and saw frequent time at six different positions: left field, center field, right field, third base, second base and shortstop. He also provided several defining moments in October, winning co-MVP in the 2018 National League Championship Series and hitting the walk-off home run in the 2021 wild-card game.
But Taylor slumped badly during the 2024 season, batting .202/.298/.300 in 87 games. And as 2025 played out, it quickly became clear he didn't have a role on this era's most star-laden Dodgers roster. Taylor collected just 28 plate appearances over 35 games with the Dodgers earlier this year, collecting seven hits and 13 strikeouts without drawing a walk.
"It was emotional," Taylor said of his release. "I'd been with the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh and hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter."
On the Angels, Taylor can also be used at second base, relieving a slumping Luis Rengifo. If third baseman Yoan Moncada needs to miss more time on the injured list, Taylor can replace him too. The Angels also have Jo Adell as an option in center field.
"[Taylor] is going to play center field, he's going to play the infield, he's going to do everything," Washington said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.