Dodgers News: From England to L.A.: Former Dodgers, Phillies Second Baseman Takes On New Front Office Role
After a three-year stint in England, the former MLB infielder reunites with Los Angeles in a developmental front-office position.
GLENDALE, AZ—There was a time the mere mention of Chase Utley, a key member of the 2008 and 2009 Philadelphia Phillies teams that eliminated the Los Angeles Dodgers in back-to-back National League Championship Series, would leave a bad taste in your mouth.
However, after the Dodgers acquired Utley during the August waiver trade deadline in 2015, Utley would win the fans over with his hustle and play during his short stint with Los Angeles over the next three seasons.
The “Silver Fox,” as he would come to be known, would be a major presence in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, helping multiple young players who came up through the Dodgers’ minor-league system, such as Corey Seager and Kiké Hernández, mature into the players and leaders they are now.
Utley continued his playing career with the Dodgers, his hometown team, from late 2015 until mid-2018, where he slashed .236/.315/.381 with a .697 OPS in 386 games, retiring at the end of the 2018 season just before the postseason.
After his playing days, Utley transitioned to a front-office role and part-time television analyst for the Dodgers, while remaining a hands-on father in his home in Southern California. However, over the last three years, he’s served as Major League Baseball’s Ambassador in Europe, where he’s lived and helped promote the game of baseball across the pond.
However, with that stint in Europe now over and Utley, along with his family, back stateside, the former All-Star second baseman has rejoined the Dodgers in a minor front-office/coaching role, as revealed in an interview with David Vassegh of AM 570.
Utley is also listed on the Dodgers’ directory page as Special Assistant to the President.
Utley rejoining the front office is not a shock, as he currently lives in Southern California and, like many former veteran players, has a desire to help continue the build within the Dodgers organization, a desire shared by current players Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman.
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