For several weeks it was apparent a reunion between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chase Utley was a matter of when, not if. On Saturday, the club officially announced the veteran infielder was re-signed to a two-year contract.
Utley, true to form, hit the ground running. He, along with Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager, were among the position players to take part in batting practice at Camelback Ranch. It essentially was an extension of offseason workouts at Dodger Stadium.
Although he was a free agent, the Dodgers were comfortable with allowing Utley to continue as if he was under contract with the team. “We’ve built a pretty good relationship for the short time that I’ve been around here,” Utley said.
“I put a lot of trust in the guys here, in the front office, and I think they do the same with me. I was obviously grateful that they allowed me to continue to work out [at Dodger Stadium].”
In what was an unusually stagnant MLB free agency, reports of clubs other than the Dodgers having interest in Utley were nonexistent. It’s of course plausible that teams were certainly aware of the inevitable conclusion. After all, Utley didn’t hide where he stood.
“Early on I let the Dodgers know that I’d like to continue to play and staying in L.A. would be my first choice. Probably not the best negotiation strategy,” the 39-year-old quipped.
“But at this point in my career, I needed to be honest and truthful with them. Last year was an outstanding year. Last game wasn’t what we would’ve liked but I think a lot of guys got some great experience. Hopefully we can build on that.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Utley figures to again fill a bench role for the team, with Logan Forsythe remaining the starter at second base. “I still feel like I can be productive in a number of ways,” Utley said.
“I’m excited to be back, I’m excited to get Spring Training started.”
