Zaidi returning to Dodgers as special advisor

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers are bringing back former executive Farhan Zaidi as a special advisor to the team, a club spokesman has confirmed. Zaidi will also assist chairman Mark Walter with his other sports interests, which include the Los Angeles Sparks, Chelsea Football Club and the Professional Women's Hockey League.

Zaidi, 48, was the Dodgers' general manager from 2014-18, working under Andrew Friedman before leaving to become the rival Giants' president of baseball operations. Zaidi led San Francisco's baseball operations department for six seasons before he was dismissed last September.

Zaidi received MLB's Executive of the Year Award in 2021, when the Giants won a franchise-record 107 games to take down the Dodgers in the National League West. That season is the only one in the past 12 years that a team other than Los Angeles won the division.

Aside from that year, though, Zaidi's tenure with the Giants was largely underwhelming, leading to his dismissal after three middling seasons.

During Zaidi's first stint with L.A., the Dodgers won the NL West in four consecutive seasons. They also ended their 29-year drought of World Series appearances with back-to-back NL pennants in 2017-18.