Phillies reportedly considering Chase Utley for bench coach

Could Chase Utley be the Phillies bench coach? (Kevin Durso/SportsTalkPhilly)

By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor

In his introductory press conference, new Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler spoke of wanting to create a culture where players played like Chase Utley. He wasn't kidding. 

As it turns out, Kapler praising Utley wasn't simply to make a good first impression on Phillies fans. Howard Eskin of SportsRadio 94 WIP says that the Phillies are considering Utley for their still-vacant bench coach position: 

Chase Utley back to Phils? The #phillies still have more coaching moves to make. I’m hearing the Phils are considering former Phillies 2nd baseman Chase Utley as a bench coach under manager @gabekapler . @SportsRadioWIP

— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) November 22, 2017

Utley, of course, doesn't have any coaching experience. Given how little coaching experience that Kapler has at any level of the sport, it felt likely that the Phillies would go with a more experienced bench coach. They may very well do that, but this suggests that they don't feel like they have to do that. 

In 309 at-bats for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, Utley slashed .236/.324/405 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs. While he was still above replacement level, there was a feeling around the sport that Utley should probably walk away after 2017, before things completely slipped away from him as a player. His playoff performance didn't dissuade those that thought that. While he did reach base three times in the postseason, he didn't record a hit in 15 at-bats. 

It's entirely possible that Utley, soon to be 39, retires and is happy to take this job, should it be offered to him. It's also possible that there are enough teams that need a second baseman – Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox etc. – that he's able to play one more season. The third option would be that he does retire, but isn't interested in coaching, whether it be right after his career or at any point. 

Frankly, the jury is out on how Utley would fair as a coach. Obviously, you want every player to play in an Utley-like style, but that doesn't happen, which is why players like Utley are so special. Some former greats have trouble understanding this – see: Sandberg, Ryne. Utley was left to speak to the Dodgers before they took the field in Game 7 of the World Series, so perhaps he would be a good coach. But simply because you are a great player doesn't mean you have the communication skills necessary to get the best out of players as a coach. If the Phillies are attempting to get a former player to retire and become the bench coach, Carlos Ruiz might make more sense, but that's just my opinion. 

Besides Utley's obvious connection to the Phillies, he's spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Dodgers. During that same period, Kapler was the Dodgers' director of player development. It's unclear if the two have much of a personal relationship, but they have likely crossed paths in the past few years. 

The Phillies did fill another vacancy on their staff today, announcing that 28-year-old Pedro Guerrero would join the staff as assistant hitting coach.