Dodgers release Utley to facilitate retirement

Chase Utley was given his unconditional release by the Dodgers on Friday so the veteran second baseman can officially retire. Utley announced in July that 2018 would be his final season.
"The thing I'm having the most difficult time with is being a part-time dad," Utley said at a press conference to make the announcement. "So that's really the reason I'm shutting it down. I'm ready to be a full-time dad."
Utley played 16 seasons in the Majors. He played his first 13-plus seasons with the Phillies and was traded to Los Angeles in 2015, where he played his final three-plus years.

A six-time National League All-Star, Utley was one of the key players on the 2008 Phillies team that won the franchise's first World Series title in 28 years. Along with Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, Utley helped fuel Philadelphia's offense during a run of five consecutive NL East championships from 2007-11.
Utley transitioned into a part-time role with Los Angeles, but the club thought so highly of his clubhouse presence, it re-signed him in for each of his final three seasons.
Utley hit .275/.358/.465 with 259 home runs and 1,885 hits in his 16-season career. He also had a penchant for being hit by pitches, getting plunked 204 times.
"For me, this is a no-brainer Hall of Famer," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the time of Utley's announcement. "Doing this now, Chase wanted to be able to focus on helping the 2018 Dodgers win a World Series. There's nothing that would cement his Hall of Fame candidacy more than that."