One year after signing Kiké Hernández, the Red Sox are reportedly considering bringing another former Dodgers utility player into the fold.
Boston is among the clubs with interest in free agent Chris Taylor, according to MLB.com’s Juan Toribio. Toribio reports that the Cardinals, Rangers, Giants, Marlins and others are also in on Taylor, who still could return to Los Angeles, where he has played since being acquired from Seattle in June 2016.
Taylor, 31, was an All-Star in 2021, hitting .254 with 20 homers, 73 RBIs and a .782 OPS in 148 games for the Dodgers. He appeared at six different positions (everywhere except catcher, first base and pitcher) but spent most of his time in center field (62 games) and second base (46 games). The Sox are known to be poking around on additions at both positions, with Hernández’s flexibility allowing the club to be creative. Though Hernández emerged as the everyday center fielder by the end of 2021, he could be shifted back to second base if the Sox choose to add a starting outfielder. It’s unclear how the club would deploy Hernández and Taylor in the same defensive alignment.
On Wednesday, Taylor rejected the one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer from the Dodgers, meaning any team that signs him would have to forfeit a draft pick to do so. The Red Sox, who gained a compensatory pick earlier this week when Eduardo Rodriguez signed with Detroit, have not ruled out the possibility of signing free agents with draft pick compensation attached this winter. A year ago, the club steered clear of any such free agents.
Taylor would not come cheap. At 31, it’s obvious that he will command a multi-year deal on the open market. MLBTradeRumors projected that he would receive a four-year, $64 million contract, which is significantly larger than the two-year, $14 million pact Hernández signed in January.
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