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Dodgers, Chris Taylor proving that they needed each other in 2022

By Kevin Henry

Jul 25, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor (3) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 25, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor (3) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite the possibility that Chris Taylor would sign with another team other than the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, the super utility player admitted in a recent interview that he always wanted to stay as a part of the Dodgers organization.

The Los Angeles Dodgers wanted Chris Taylor back in the organization next season, and Taylor admits that he didn’t want to go anywhere else.

Signing a four-year, $60 million deal just before the current Major League Baseball lockout went into effect, the 31-year-old Taylor will continue to be a part of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 and beyond. That was his goal as he admitted in a recent interview with AM 570 in Los Angeles, the radio home of the Dodgers.

"“I always knew I wanted to stay with the Dodgers,” Taylor said in the interview. “It was just a matter of if they were willing to work with me or be competitive I guess. It was hard to see myself in anything but Dodger blue. It meant a lot to me that they were willing to give me the offer they did and I was really happy we were able to get something done before the lockout.”"

Finishing last season with 20 homers and 73 RBI, Taylor earned his first All-Star Game nod, playing six different positions for the Dodgers last season as they advanced to the National League Championship Series. Taylor played a big role in the Dodgers getting out of the opening round, hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the NL Wild Card Game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chavez Ravine.

Taylor went on to slash .476/.542/1.048 in 21 at-bats with three home runs in the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, further cementing his importance to the Los Angeles lineup. He can add that postseason run to the MVP award he won during the 2017 NLCS and his role in helping L.A. win the World Series in 2020.

In December, after signing his new contract with the Dodgers, Taylor kept winning the offseason by getting engaged in Hawaii.

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This year will mark the seventh season that Taylor has worn Dodger blue, and it’s clear that he is a big part of how Los Angeles is planning to return to the top of the National League West in 2022. Los Angeles wanted Taylor back and he wanted to be back, making for an easy reunion once the sides agreed on the financial terms.

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