The Philadelphia Phillies were quiet early in free agency when compared to a couple of their division rivals, but the hot stove seems to be churning Monday morning.
The latest is that Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports reports that the Phillies — along with the National League East foe Miami Marlins — have interest in super-utility star Chris Taylor.
An All-Star for the first time in 2021, Taylor was an integral part of a Los Angeles Dodgers team that won 106 games during the regular season and reached the NLCS. Taylor slashed .254/.344/.438 with 20 home runs, 73 RBIs, 63 walks and a 3.1 fWAR.
Perhaps even more appealing is that Taylor is a Swiss Army knife, capable of playing pretty much anywhere on the diamond at a competent level. In 2021, Taylor played 100 or more innings at second base, shortstop, left field and center field. Currently, it’s unclear who will start for the Phillies at shortstop, in left field and in center field in 2022.
On Audacy Sports, I projected that Taylor will land a four-year/$68 million deal. The 31-year-old did decline a one-year/$18.4 million qualifying offer from the Dodgers, so the Phillies would have to surrender a second-round pick and $500,000 of international signing bonus pool money if they inked a deal with Taylor.
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