Former Phillies Slugger Joins Los Angeles Dodgers in Front Office Role
When the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed star Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract at the start of the offseason, it made headlines.
Other teams’ moves swiftly eclipsed their moment in the spotlight, particularly the Los Angeles Dodgers’ acquisition of two of the most sought-after free agents and an outstanding pitcher via a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Raul Ibanez, a former slugger for the Phillies, has been brought on board by the Dodgers for a front office position.
It is said that he will take on the role of Vice President of Baseball Development and Special Projects.
Ibanez played for three seasons with Philadelphia, joining the club that advanced to the World Series following its victory in 2009. His career All-Star selection came from the one year only.
With the Phillies, he participated in 433 of 486 games that might have been played, with a slash line of.263/.329/.469, 70 home runs, and 260 RBI.
He played for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals after leaving Philadelphia before ending his career following the 2014 campaign.
After retiring from professional baseball, Ibanez joined the Dodgers in 2016 as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations, securing his first front office position.
In the same year, ESPN recruited him as an analyst.
Ibanez and Michael Hill assumed the role of senior vice president of on-field operations for Major League Baseball in 2021, where they were responsible for umpiring, discipline, and other on-field matters.
He continued in this capacity until accepting the front desk position in Los Angeles.