The New York Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles in ALDS game 3

Eric Chavez begins his career as a scout for the Yankees. (John Munson/The Star-Ledger)

This time last year, Eric Chavez was preparing to play alongside Didi Gregorius with the Diamondbacks. Now, he's excited again to watch the 25-year-old shortstop fulfill what Chavez believes is a tantalizing future.

"If (Gregorius) can field the ball like I know he's capable of doing and if he can provide that pop he's capable of providing," Chavez said in a phone interview from Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, "he's going to be really good."

The only difference? Chavez won't see Gregorius' development from third base, a position he manned for 17 major league seasons. Instead, Chavez, in his first season as a Yankees' special assignment scout, will be hitting the Netherlands product grounders in practice and watching from the stands during spring training games. The Yankees acquired Gregorius in a trade with Arizona in December.

"I'm excited," Chavez, 37, said. "The next few weeks are going to be huge for me. It's all new to me."

Chavez, a six-time Gold Glove winner with Oakland, always knew he wanted to stay in baseball after he retired. In fact, as a member of the Yankees in 2011 and 2012, he talked about it with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Billy Eppler, the assistant GM, from time to time.

So when Chavez abruptly retired in July after just 81 plate appearances with Arizona -- the result of serious knee trouble and other lingering injuries -- he waited a couple of months and considered his next move. That move? A phone call to Eppler.

"He said, 'What do you want to do,'" Chavez said. 'I said, 'I have no idea.'

"So Billy put something together that will allow me to wear a few different hats this year. I get to see the other side of the game, how management works, how they view coaches and players and just the game in general."

Chavez -- like Eppler, a San Diego native -- said he believes he wants to eventually get into coaching.

"On the field -- that's where my passion is," Chavez said. "But I wanted to be educated and have a good idea of how the other side works and get the best education I can."

As far as schooling, Chavez appears ready for a crash course. Last fall, the Yankees threw him at the Arizona Fall League, and he cherished the experience to be around young players, he said.

One of those young players who stood out to him? Greg Bird, a 22-year-old first baseman who won the AFL's MVP after leading the league in homer and runs scored.

"I was thoroughly impressed with his swing and his approach," Chavez said. "I don't know how much I'll get to work with him, but I"m looking forward to seeing his at-bats this spring."

The time Bird and Chavez spend at big-league spring training together won't be the last time they see each other, Chavez said. The 2002 Silver Slugger award winner will visit each of the Yankees' minor league teams throughout the season. Chavez said he'll spend about a week with each squad and "evaluate them, see what hey can improve on ... coaching was kind of big for me."

So was the time Chavez spent in Cashman's suite at the Winter Meetings in San Diego in December, Chavez said. There, Chavez was enamored with -- and sometimes puzzled by -- the lingo getting thrown around the room by Eppler, Cashman and other members of the baseball operations staff.

But Chavez wasn't there purely to learn. The club leaned his knowledge of players throughout the league while discussing personnel with other teams and agents.

"Sitting in that board room in San Diego was eye-opening," Chavez said. "How each person was speaking was completely different. And I was looking at pieces of paper and wondering what exactly some things meant."

That's the kind of education for which Chavez is yearning, he said. And, while he's learning, he said he hopes to teach a few things to young players like Gregorius.

"I'll be there to help keep him comfortable," Chavez said. "I'm on his side."

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.