Dodgers lose Roy Clark to Braves, Rafael Chaves to Phillies from front office

LOS ANGELES -- The Braves on Tuesday officially announced what was known for a few days, the hiring of Roy Clark as special assistant their new general manager John Hart. Clark was a national crosschecker for the Dodgers in 2014, and his loss is the third known player development person to depart the Dodgers in the last two weeks.

In addition to head of player development De Jon Watson joining Dave Stewart in the Diamondbacks front office on Sept. 26, Rafael Chaves left on Monday to become pitching coordinator for the Phillies.

Clark was hired by the Dodgers last November and scouted amateur talent as well as the organization's minor leaguers. He worked with Stan Kasten for both the Braves and Nationals, including 22 years with Atlanta, where he will return for the first time since 2010.

Clark has worked a variety of roles in player personnel, from scouting director to running drafts to vice president of player personnel. He would have been a logical in-house replacement for Watson as head of player development for the Dodgers, but that is no longer an option.

Chaves was the Dodgers minor league pitching coordinator for five seasons before transitioning to a special assistant role in player personnel in 2014. Chaves was also pitching coach in the Yankees system in 2008 and was with the Mariners in various roles for a decade, including pitching coach in 2006-2007.

"We are extremely excited to add Rafael to our staff," said Joe Jordan, the Phillies head of player development. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and is one of the most respected names in our business when it comes to developing pitchers."

It is unknown how the Dodgers will fill these positions, though perhaps some insights will be revealed this week as organizational meetings begin.