LOS ANGELES -- With their latest flurry of roster moves on Sunday, the Dodgers reinforced a message from earlier in the week: Winning now takes precedence over sentimentality.
Los Angeles got a key piece of its lineup back by activating Tommy Edman ahead of its 6-4 loss in the Freeway Series finale. As the corresponding move, the team released longtime utility man Chris Taylor -- which opened a 40-man spot for righty reliever Lou Trivino, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City after Kirby Yates was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain.
Taylor was briefly the Dodgers' longest-tenured position player after the team also cut veteran backup catcher Austin Barnes earlier in the week, clearing the way for the promotion of top prospect Dalton Rushing.
"This has been a very emotional week for all of us," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. "Barnsey and CT have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both guys have left an indelible mark on our culture and where we're at at this point."
The timing of the moves was more surprising than anything else. Friedman acknowledged that one factor that led to the Dodgers acting now was seeing how competitive the NL West has looked in the early going.
"We saw it in 2021, winning 106 games and not winning the division," Friedman said. "Our primary goal during the regular season is to win the division. That is what we feel like puts us in the best position to accomplish our ultimate goal."
The team choosing to part ways with Taylor, who was in the final season of a four-year, $60 million contract, indicates that former KBO star Hyeseong Kim should have a place on the Dodgers' roster even after Teoscar Hernández returns on Monday.
Entering the season, the Dodgers' bench was heavily right-handed, consisting of Barnes, Taylor, Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas. Kim and Rushing, who should both have some runway to continue their development at the big league level in the wake of this week's moves, balance out what remains of that group from the left-hand side.
“Obviously, we're in a tight race," manager Dave Roberts said. "And I think some of it is the race. Some of it is, you still want to continue to develop young players and give them opportunities with a veteran ballclub.”
When Kim was called up about two weeks ago, after Edman went on the IL with right ankle inflammation, Roberts indicated that it would be a temporary stay. But Kim quickly showed why the Dodgers needed someone like him on the active roster, showcasing game-changing speed, slick defense and bat-to-ball skills that have translated to Major League pitching in a small sample.
Kim entered Sunday hitting 14-for-31 (.452) with a 1.065 OPS through 14 games and has seen time at second base and in center field. He already had nearly as many at-bats as Taylor, who hit 7-for-35 (.200) and primarily appeared as a defensive replacement in 28 games.
Taylor, along with Barnes, played a role in bringing two World Series titles to Los Angeles. He was the NL Championship Series co-MVP in 2017 and provided immense value with his versatility from the time the Dodgers acquired him from the Mariners in June 2016.
"He is the consummate pro, the way he did a trust fall when he got here," Friedman said. "He came in hungry and wanting to get better, and dove in with our hitting guys, with our position coaches. … He was a huge part of so much success that we've enjoyed. Can't say enough about the human, the worker, the teammate, the player."
The Dodgers have embraced the challenge of fostering proven team chemistry while also swinging big to bring in some of the best talent on the market. It's an imperfect science to do well by their veteran players while also giving their new blood the opportunities they deserve.
It has led to two difficult decisions in the space of the past few days, neither of which came lightly.
"It's a really delicate balance of figuring out the right way to handle the stability and continuity vs. infusing some new guys," Friedman said. "That's definitely more art. And each year, we try to find the right balance of it. But again, this wasn't something coming into the year that we said, 'OK, we think in May, this is what's going to happen.' It's just the way things played out."