Chad Chops Ties With Giants, Joins Dodgers

The Dodgers continue to build their staff after the departure of many key members. Former Giants’ video replay coordinator, Chad Chop, has agreed to join the Dodgers’ staff, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. Chop’s role with the Dodgers has not been determined.

https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/1072310160071233536

Chop, who was born in Orange, California, was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 2002 MLB Entry Draft. He spent 4 seasons in the Expos minor leagues before signing with an independent team in Fullerton. After that, he retired and started working as a firefighter in 2007 before joining the Giants’ coaching staff in 2014.

The hiring of Chop is interesting because he was a favorite among players in the Giants’ clubhouse. He also performed multiple jobs for the team, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC.

Chop’s departure is notable for a couple of reasons. He was an expert with the replay computer system, and the Giants generally did well on reviews. Chop joined the Giants in a fascinating way — the former minor leaguer started training with Hunter Pence early in his Giants career and initially joined the team as a left-handed batting practice pitcher. Pence recommended Chop to the Giants. Over time, Chop’s role expanded, and he was popular in the clubhouse.

It makes sense for the Dodgers to keep him in a similar role.