Angels Demoting April’s Best Hitter to Make Room For All-Star Addition

Gabe Smallson | May 26, 2025

May 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Taylor Ward (3) center fielder Kyren Paris (19) and right fielder Jo Adell (7) following the top of the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels recently signed former Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor, but the corresponding move is optioning Kyren Paris to Triple-A Salt Lake, per the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher.

The corresponding move for Chris Taylor will be Kyren Paris.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) May 26, 2025

Paris had a hot start to the season, but has since cooled off, batting just .151 in the month of May.

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The #Angels have signed INF/OF Chris Taylor (#33) to a Major League contract.

Following yesterday's game, Kyren Paris was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) May 26, 2025

Paris was one of the biggest success stories this season for the Halos.

After batting .110 in 36 appearances in MLB since 2023, Paris started the 2025 campaign with a slash line of .273/.365/.600/ and a .965 OPS through 20 games.

This was largely attributed to his offseason work with reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge's hitting coach, Richard Schenck.

“I like some of the stuff that he was talking about that I would see online,” Paris said this offseason. “I feel like a lot of it resonated with me, and a lot of the problems that I was having at the plate. I just wanted to clean up some things and make my swing more efficient, and he’s helped me with that.”

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The improved swing helped tremendously, but in the 23 games since that hot start, Paris started to revert back to his past production. He hit .127 with a .395 OPS, striking out 37 times in 71 at-bats leading up to his return to Triple-A.

As for Taylor, he will receive a one-year, $760,000 deal and is in line to start in center field on Monday against the New York Yankees.

Dave Roberts said Chris Taylor wanted an opportunity to play more.

He’ll get that with the Angels, who have struggled to get center field production.

Taylor gets a one-year, $760,000 deal. He’s already going to be the starting center fielder on Monday against the Yankees.

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) May 26, 2025

The Halos will hope that the former Dodgers All-Star will do what he can to turn around their lack of center field production.

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