The Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to re-sign Chase Utley in December 2015 came as a mild surprise considering his relative ineffectiveness after being traded by the Philadelphia Phillies in August of that year.
However, the Dodgers valued Utley’s experience and mentorship provided to Corey Seager. That aspect was regularly apparent last season, though Utley also filled a much larger role with Los Angeles than the previous half-season.
Injuries led to the veteran emerging as the club’s everyday second baseman and leadoff hitter, and Utley responded well early. His production tailed off as the physical demands took their toll, though the 14-year veteran still drew interest from the Dodgers and other clubs this winter.
After a report indicated the 38-year-old was deciding between four teams, Utley elected to re-sign with the Dodgers on a one-year deal. His addition further muddies the organization’s 25- and 40-man rosters.
Is re-signing Utley the correct decision? The DodgerBlue.com staff debated below.
Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):
As much as I loved having Chase Utley as a part of the team for the past year and a half, I do not believe the Dodgers have a use for him anymore.
That is extremely tough for me to say, because he is not only a great player, but a great guy, a Los Angeles native and did an outstanding job mentoring Corey Seager last season.
But with the acquisition of Logan Forsythe, and others already battling for spots on the 25-man roster, the last thing the Dodgers need is a left-handed bat who is limited to playing second base and perhaps some first or third base.
The infield is set, and the likes of Kiké Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Charlie Culberson are capable backups. Utley fell of tremendously in the second half last season, so if the Dodgers were to re-sign him, it would be more for his locker room presence than play on the field.
With the Dodgers already over the luxury tax threshold, I don’t really see the need to re-sign Utley unless he expresses that Los Angeles is the only place he wants to play and finish out his career, and in turn would be willing to sign an extremely team-friendly contract to make that happen.
Matt Borelli (@MattDodgerBlue):
Yes, I believe the Dodgers should bring back Utley for another year. And given how late it is in the offseason, I think he’ll be willing to sign for less than the $7 million salary he earned in 2016 to stay in Southern California.
At the moment, a projected five-man bench for the Dodgers looks something along the lines of Austin Barnes, Andre Ethier, Kiké Hernandez, Darin Ruf and one of Trayce Thompson/Scott Van Slyke.
I only see three locks among that group: Barnes, the backup catcher behind Yasmani Grandal; Ethier, who is in line for $17.5 million this season and a probable platoon partner with Yasiel Puig in right field; and Hernandez, who is the only capable backup shortstop on the 40-man roster sans Chris Taylor, not to mention Hernandez’s ability to play all over the field.
While the newly-acquired Ruf crushes left-handed pitching, he hasn’t posted a positive-WAR season since 2014 and is a defensive liability. He was a likely non-tender candidate had the Philadelphia Phillies not included him in the Howie Kendrick trade, so there’s no guarantee that he’ll win a spot on the Dodgers’ 25-man roster.
Should that be the case, Ruf will have to clear waivers to stay in the organization, which shouldn’t be difficult now that he’s 30 years old.
Van Slyke was a prominent role player for the Dodgers from 2013-15, but took a step back last season. The 30-year old struggled vastly in 2016, failing to produce against the platoon advantage while also spending a significant time on the disabled list.
Unlike Ruf, Van Slyke still has Minor League options remaining, so the Dodgers have the luxury of stashing him in Triple-A Oklahoma City should he not bounce back in Spring Training.
And Thompson, if fully recovered from the lower back injury that hindered him in 2016, is almost guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster, given his offensive upside and ability to play all three outfield positions. He is the current favorite to platoon with Andrew Toles in left field.
So where does this leave Utley?
If the Dodgers are content with the five-man bench I speculated above, that would potentially leave zero left-handed bats off the bench on days where the opposing starting pitcher is right-handed.
Adding one in Utley, even if just for pinch-hit opportunities, could be beneficial during the later innings when teams start deploying right-handed relievers. He was well-above average last season against righties and still managed to put up a two-WAR despite his poor splits against southpaws.
With Logan Forsythe now in the mix, he’ll see the majority of his starts at second base, but could also fill in at the hot corner and first base, giving Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez some much needed rest during the course of the season.
Utley, while it’s presumably understood that he won’t receive as many at-bats as he did last season, could maximize his playing time by occasionally filling in at third base and first base as well. That would be similar to the positional flexibility he displayed during his first couple of months with the Dodgers in 2015.
Not only does Utley still have value on the field, but off the field too. He was the recipient of the 2016 Heart and Hustle Award for the Dodgers, and is lauded for his leadership inside the clubhouse.
Corey Seager recently expressed hope that Utley will re-sign with the Dodgers, while president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman didn’t rule out a reunion even after trading for Forsythe. Those sentiments show the kind of impact Utley had on the club over the last year and a half.
Jeff Spiegel (@JeffSpiegel):
My vote here is no — simply because of the collateral damage of signing one more player to the 40-man roster. Nothing against Utley, I’d love his leadership if he’s willing to to take on a bench role.
But if the Dodgers re-sign Utley, who does he replace? He can’t play shortstop in a pinch, so they team would still need someone (Chris Taylor?) on the roster who can. If the Dodgers kept Taylor and Utley, then what?
One less spot for the starting pitcher logjam? One less spot for the outfield logjam? Maybe, but considering all the consequences, and the actual value Utley would bring (minimal), seems to me like this move doesn’t make sense.
Eric Avakian (@AvakEric):
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on record as understanding the benefits that come with such a respected veteran in Chase Utley. Without offering over $5 or $6 million (unless based on incentives), I believe the Dodgers should re-sign Utley.
Corey Seager has constantly alluded to the impact Utley has had on him, as his expertise and wisdom have guided Seager in his transition to a star player. The veteran approach and constant hunger to be great are phenomenal pillars to build upon, which Seager thanks Utley for.
What remains to be seen is what kind of role Utley sees himself in. With Logan Forsythe in the fold, Utley knows that his position with the Dodgers would be as a back-up, and that may hold true with other contenders as well.,
The Long Beach, Calif., native presumably would like to end his career at home and possibly with a World Series ring. Utley would serve as a valuable option for manager Dave Roberts when looking to give a regular a day off, while also providing a professional pinch-hit appearance.
Jared Massey (@JarredJMassey):
The Dodgers definitely have room for Chase Utley on their roster and, more specifically, in their clubhouse.
With Forsythe getting nearly all the team’s plate appearances at second, Utley is re-signed to a bench role, serving as the team’s primary pinch-hitter. Money shouldn’t be an issue, as a backup infielder won’t break the bank of the richest team in baseball.
