PHOENIX _ The text messages reached Corey Seager as a greeting and a warning.
"Watch out when I come into second base next year," Chase Utley wrote in the off-season, when a reunion with the Los Angeles Dodgers looked so unlikely. Even his jokes contain a hint of menace.
Seager idolized Utley during their time together and considered him a friend. But if Utley signed elsewhere, Seager would become a rival. And on the diamond, Utley has little regard for friendship.
In January, the Dodgers acquired second baseman Logan Forsythe from Tampa Bay. Forsythe filled the void created by Utley's free agency, and Utley assumed he would play elsewhere this season. Then, two weeks ago, he tapped out another message to Seager.
"Don't worry about getting out of my way anymore," Utley wrote. "I'll see you next week."
Utley was willing to accept a reduction in his role and his salary when he agreed to a one-year, $2-million contract. The deal became official Saturday morning, soon after Utley arrived at Camelback Ranch. Although Manager Dave Roberts referred to him as an "everyday player," Utley is expected to back up Forsythe at second base and Adrian Gonzalez at first base.
"I think it's not secret that I'm not getting any younger," Utley said. "I understand that things change, and if I want to be part of a winning organization, there's a possibility that I take this type of role. I'm up for it. I'm up for the challenge."
Utley, 38, has faith in his ability to aid the club on the field. His arrival also provides a psychological boost for a roster that was kept mostly intact after reaching the National League Championship Series in October. Although his presence on the roster, as a left-handed-hitting infielder, may be somewhat redundant, the Dodgers believe his value far exceeds his production.
Dodgers players, coaches and front-office members speak of Utley with reverence. Clayton Kershaw intends to instruct his son to strive to replicate Utley's effort on the field. Roberts refers to Utley's steely consistency as unparalleled. Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, sees Utley's behavior as a model for his peers.
"I've never been around a guy that, at basically any moment and time that you walk by him _ in the clubhouse, on the field _ is doing something to try to help us win a game," Friedman said a few days ago.
The praise causes Utley to blush. He loathes talking about himself. But he does not deny the zeal he brings to his craft, studying scouting reports, scouring video, discussing strategy with his teammates.
"The name of the game is to win a baseball game," Utley said. "If you can find any edge in any different situation, I think it can be important."
