Chris Taylor

August was a month Taylor would like to soon forget. The acquisitions of Manny Machado and Brian Dozier ate into his playing time. When on the field, Taylor posted a .185/.272/.321 line with a 35.9 K%. Perhaps there was cause and effect, but he did rebound the final month, slashing .345/.433/.586, albeit it with a 29.9 K%. In fact, over the final three months, Taylor fanned at a 34.1% clip, saved by a .379 BABIP in that span. Over the first three months he registered a 25.7 K% and .320 BABIP. For the season, Taylor’s 29.5 K% was up from 2017’s breakout campaign. His power and speed took a step back as his HR/FB dropped while his stolen-base chances and success rate both dipped. Taylor could return to everyday action, but it’s more likely he settles into a super-utility role as a plus defender at several positions. If Taylor gets regular playing time, his contact woes are a threat to take it away. The ceiling is enticing, but the floor says don’t overpay.

A retooled swing completely changed Taylor's career trajectory; he went from an also-ran utility type to an impact top-of-the-order hitter on a pennant-winning Dodgers club. Taylor worked with an outside consultant to change his bat path and reduce his number of groundballs, and in turn he added six percentage points to his hard-hit rate (to 32.4 percent) and upped his barrel rate from 3.1 barrels per plate appearance to 5.2. Taylor finished with a .361 wOBA and 126 wRC+ in 568 plate appearances, while falling three stolen bases shy of a 20-20 season. He also showed more patience, walking at an 8.8 percent clip, so even if his average falls (25 percent strikeout rate, .361 BABIP), Taylor will have a good chance to stick in the leadoff spot. The 27-year-old has multi-position eligibility and is part of a powerful lineup. This seems like just the beginning of his window of relevance.

Taylor, a former top prospect, was traded to the Dodgers at midseason after failing to carve out a major league role with the Mariners. In L.A., he saw some time backing up Corey Seager at shortstop while also filling in at second and third base. His time with the big league squad was limited though, so most of his production came during his time with Triple-A Oklahoma City where he hit an excellent .368/.438/.544. He still has value as a pre-arbitration player capable of fielding shortstop well, but that isn't exactly a profile with much fantasy appeal. Unfortunately for Taylor, the Dodgers also have Charlie Culberson in the organization, another right-handed hitter that can work as a utility infielder, so the two will likely have to duke it out in spring training for a roster spot.

A broken wrist last spring ended a competition with Brad Miller at shortstop, but when Taylor returned in early May the position was still his for the taking as the Mariners tired of Miller's fielding miscues. Taylor, though, looked baffled at the plate. He batted .159/.221/.206 in 20 games and was back in Triple-A by month's end. He got another chance in July, but again struggled, batting .194/.219/.258 in 17 games before a demotion for good. He fared much better in 83 games at Tacoma, but in the majors his contact rate dropped to 67 percent, his strikeout rose to 30.4% and he posted a poor 5.9% walk rate. Prospect Ketel Marte took over shortstop later in the year, all but ensuring the best Taylor can do in the Mariners' organization is a backup or utility role. Trouble is, Seattle acquired utility man Luis Sardinas in November and returns infielder/outfielder Shawn O'Malley. It's hard to see where Taylor fits, other than waiting in Triple-A for an injury to Marte.

Taylor made his major league debut last season, quickly displacing Brad Miller as the starting shortstop in Seattle. But while Taylor has a better glove than Miller, he doesn't appear to have near the potential with the bat. Taylor doesn't have the power to compensate for the high strikeout rate he carried through the minors. That got even worse after his late-July callup, as he posted a 25.8% strikeout rate in his 136 at-bats with a 73.4% contact rate. His on-base skills took a hit too, as his walk rate was a mere 7.3%. And his seemingly impressive .287 batting average was a product of a .402 BABIP. Of course, a two-month sample size isn't definitive, but Taylor needs to cut his strikeouts and show the patience at the plate he displayed in the minors if he wants to win the starting job over Miller in spring training.

This could prove to be a pivotal year for Taylor, who likely will open at Triple-A Tacoma hoping to show his ceiling is higher than the all-glove utility man he has been pegged as. A 2012 fifth-round pick out of the University of Virginia, Taylor showed excellent patience at the plate last season, drawing 84 walks in 134 games across two minor league stops. At 6-0, 170, he doesn't have the build for much power, which makes his high strikeout rate a problem. He hit well in the Arizona Fall League, but if he is to take the next step, he must make more contact. Taylor has good speed and is excellent on the bases, succeeding on 38-of-43 stolen base attempts last season. In the field, his range at shortstop is described as average to above average depending on the scout, but he has a strong arm and can play second base, too. The Mariners have a backlog of middle infielders, but Taylor will have a chance to prove that he too belongs in the conversation.