In December 2015 Ben Zobrist signed a four year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. It was a solid deal for an above average utility player who had just won a World Series ring with the Kansas City Royals and had also been a key part of postseason runs with the Tampa Bay Rays.
I want to back up a little bit, the phrase utility man has always bugged me a little bit and I don’t think it does Zobrist justice. It definitely captures the versatility Zobrist brings to the field, but it also indicates that he’s somehow replaceable or less important.