He stated, “The mental thing is the main thing.” “You want to compete out there. The objective was to constantly take as many balls as possible and pitch as many as I could. And you feel like a huge disappointment when you don’t. We enjoy playing this game a lot. And it’s difficult when you’re going to miss that much time.
Both Taylor and longtime catcher Austin Barnes were cut by the Dodgers, and the clubhouse appeared to be conflicted over their decisions. Throughout his career, Taylor was a reliable riser in the Dodgers’ postseason, playing every position. Although fans were not surprised by his dismissal, it marked a sea change for the billion-dollar Dodgers, who have now started to value skill and promise after ten years of leadership from Taylor and Barnes.
Taylor will provide seasoned leadership and a disciplined approach to a squad whose discipline has been the primary driver in their offense’s highs and lows, as Jo Adell is once again battling to establish himself as the Angels’ permanent outfield starting. Of course, Taylor’s adaptability is another asset to the clubhouse. Taylor has played over 90 career games at left field, center field, third base, second base, and shortstop. Taylor can thus step in anywhere the Angels need him to, even if Matthew Lugo regains the form that made Angels supporters believe in him as a potential club mainstay.
Taylor has undoubtedly reached a different phase of his career than the one that saw him play a key role in the Dodgers’ lineup for years, but even with a small sample size of 35 at-bats, his stats are not promising at all. Taylor, who has been incredibly reliable throughout his career, might join Yoán Moncada as an Angels player experiencing a career comeback if he settles in Anaheim.
This is also the kind of low-risk move the Angels should be making. In the best-case scenario, Taylor gets back to his old ways and spends the remainder of the season as a reliable hitter for an uneven Halo lineup. In the worst situation, the Angels signed a player who would not be able to stay and continued their season. Given his flexibility on the diamond, something this Halo squad lacks, it is difficult to picture Taylor not remaining a bench component.
