Earlier Friday, former Seattle Mariners top prospect Chris Taylor retired from professional baseball. Taylor spent his first two seasons of his major league career with the Mariners. He previously was a top 10 prospect in their system. While not being a top 100 prospect, Taylor ranked highly in the Mariners prospect rankings. He received a 50 future value grade from Fangraphs and ranked 9th in the 2014 Mariners farm system rankings.
Prospect evaluator Jason Churchill said this about Taylor: “Taylor is an all-glove shortstop who is doing a great job at shoving that label up the backsides of clubs who passed on him for that reason. The hands and feet are terrific and Taylor’s arm strength grades out in average to above-average range, suggesting he’s at least a utility candidate in the majors. He’s made some swing adjustments in his quick ascent through the minors, but more are needed if he’s to hit for enough extra-base power to warrant any consideration for a long-term starting role. His patience and all-around plate skills are superb, but he will strike out, and that will be a challenge for him in Triple-A, which is where he’ll start 2014.”
Former Seattle Mariners Prospect Chris Taylor Traded to the Dodgers
GettyThe Seattle Mariners traded away Chris Taylor to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which was one of the first moves in the Dipoto era.
The Seattle Mariners traded away Taylor to the Los Angeles Dodgers for former top prospect Zach Lee. The trade remains infamous among Mariners fans as Taylor became an All-Star with the Dodgers. Lee never debuted for the Mariners at the major league level.
Taylor was a key player in the Dodgers lineup for many years. He batted .250/.330/.431 with 108 home runs. He won two world series titles with the Dodgers, one in 2020 and the other in 2024.
The Mariners traded Taylor away because they wanted to see Ketel Marte in a fulltime role as the starting shortstop. Taylor failed to have a role and struggled with the Mariners. He only batted .240/.296/.296 with the Mariners in 256 plate appearances.
Mariners Shortstop History Since Taylor One of the Most Consistent Aspects of the Franchise
GettySoon after Taylor, the Seattle Mariners found J.P. Crawford a few years later.
After the Mariners traded Taylor away to the Dodgers, they gave up on Marte prior to the 2017 season. The Seattle Mariners traded away Marte and fellow former prospect Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis. Segura and Haniger became great Mariners for several seasons.
Segura only played with the Mariners for two years, batting .302/.345/.421 with 21 home runs. Haniger played six seasons with the Mariners, batting .254/.329/.457 with 119 home runs. Both made the 2018 All Star Game with the Mariners.
The Mariners traded away Segura to the Philadelphia Phillies in a deal that gave the Mariners J.P. Crawford, who obviously is still on the Mariners. Despite missing out on Taylor, the Mariners did fine at shortstop without him for many years. That being said, Taylor developed into one of the best utility players in the league, which can be useful for any roster.
Former Seattle Mariners Prospect Chris Taylor Retires