When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Chase Utley in August 2015, the prevailing thought was he would only finish out that season with the club. In Utley, the Dodgers added a veteran presence who conceivably would be key in a postseason push.
Utley immediately endeared himself to teammates and the front office, and has been a mainstay with the organization ever since the trade three years ago. Utley re-signed on a one-year contract that offseason and inked another one-year deal after the 2016 campaign.
In part to aid the Dodgers with remaining below the $197 million luxury tax threshold for the 2017 season, Utley returned but on a two-year contract. However, he won’t play out the lifetime of the contract as the veteran infield announced his plans to retire after the 2018 season.
With Utley months away from hanging up his cleats, Kiké Hernandez is hoping to make the most of their remaining time together because of how much the 39-year-old has impacted his career, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“It’s just a time to sit back and reflect on how fortunate I’ve been to call him my teammate for, when the season is over, three-and-a-half seasons. Our relationship, you can say we were teammates the first year and his second year here we started developing a little bit of a bond. Last year, half way through the year and towards the end of the season I started forcing my way under his wing. I don’t know if he liked it or not, but I was going to stay stubborn and stay under his wing. He’s turned my career around. Not only from an on-the-field standpoint but the way I see the game a little bit. He was an All-Star and transitioned into a backup role, and my first few years I’ve been a backup and wasn’t OK with it. I was young and immature and let that affect my game. Having him around, the way he’s handled everything this entire time has made me change the way I see this game. Not only that but his entire career he didn’t have a lot of injuries. That tells you this guy knows how to take care of his body. I’ve asked him about everything. I’ve changed my diet because of him, I changed my offseason workout routine because of him, I changed the way I prepare for games every single day during the season because of him.”
When the Dodgers acquired Utley, there was hope he would serve as a mentor to Corey Seager. Utley’s locker in the clubhouse at Dodger Stadium was next to Seager’s, and the two did develop a strong relationship.
While Seager may have been the focal point, it’s clear Utley’s approach has worn off on others in the clubhouse. And not just for youngsters Cody Bellinger, Hernandez and Utley, but Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner have also discussed the inspiration they’ve drawn from Utley.
As Utley nears the end of his career, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman previously said his hope was to keep him involved with the organization in some capacity.
