Chase Utley Being Traded?

Sticks & Stones may break my bones, but trade rumors never hurt me.

Rumor has it Jonathan Papelbon is heading to Detroit-- or back to Boston.  Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is insisting, daily, that it isn't true, but is quick to add that "Papelbon is the best closer in baseball," which is hard to argue and likely an indication of Amaro's opinion of his trade value more than anything else.

Papelbon, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have all been quoted by the press making disparaging remarks about the team lately.  Lee and Hamels were quoted showing a keen interest in being on a winning team with no regard to their current one, while Papelbon questioned the ability of (it appears) Ryan Howard, whose 20 HR pace is a far cry from the 58 he posted in '06.  Perhaps management should treat Hamels with the frankness Yankees GM Cashman delt A-Rod this week and encourage him to tighten his lips until he becomes part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Meanwhile, Chase Utley is being talked about as trade bait.  Speculation says that if the Phils could do it

with Victorino last season on the eve of his free agency, they could do it to Chase, who becomes a free agent after this season.  As with Victorino, if the Phils are not going to pay market value to retain Utley, the logical move would be to trade him now, before they come up with nothing when he walks in a couple short months.  Since they aren't in contention for the postseason now, retaining him for just the remainder of this season would make him a costly short-term rental with little to no upside.

Think of what they got for Victorino last season: reliever Josh Lindblom and minor league pitcher Ethan Martin.  Martin has yet to pitch in the majors and Lindblom is now on the Texas Rangers.  So, while both players were gravy since they weren't going to pay the $13 million a year Boston gave Victorino, can you imagine the Phils dumping Utley for 2 players as nondescript as those?  There might be riots, certainly an Earthquake of boos at the Bank.

Utley's '09 5 HR World Series was historic.

A local Philly poll puts the exclamation point on this fact:

If only one of these Phillies players was to remain with the team for his whole career, who would you want it to be?
Ryan Howard
	192 (7.1%)
Jimmy Rollins
	786 (29.1%)
Chase Utley
	1727 (63.8%)
Total votes = 2705

Nonetheless, reports are that Amaro has been listening to offers for the beloved 5-time all-star 2nd baseman, whose days in a Phillies uniform may be numbered.  One report says that although Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said he didn't see "any benefit" to trading his elite pitching, he did say that if his team sells, it still has "plenty of people to trade." According to a top NL executive: "I think Chase Utley will be on the market."

The Phillies have two potential young replacements for him at 2nd base in Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez. Galvis was just sent to the minor leagues, a move team officials say is to get more regular playing time.  With Utley back from injury, Galvis is sitting on the bench gathering dust.  Meanwhile, Thursday, the Phils signed infielder John McDonald, a 38 year-old journeyman from Cleveland.  McDonald is a solid fielder, but a career .236 hitter, including a paltry 2 for 38 this season for both Cleveland and Pittsburgh.  He has 16 extra base hits in his entire career, whereas Galvis has 12 just this year.

Utley's swing has been described as "textbook" perfect.

The move is curious on 2 fronts:

1) Charlie Manuel has consistently asserted that he believes Galvis is better served being a bench player in the majors than a triple-A regular, so Amaro Jr. is contradicting his manager.

2) The move seems to indicate what no Phillies fan wants to hear: that the team is hastening life after Chase Utley.  With Galvis getting more daily action, he is prepping for a likely unveiling at a regular lineup position.  As a starter for the injury-plagued Phils in May of '12, Galvis logged 102 at-bats.  He had 12 extra base hits and 18 RBI in that month alone (an over 100 RBI projection).  In the field, he was Gold Glove caliber, and Amaro and co. were gushing every day about his future with the team.

If this is in fact the waning days of Utley in a Phillies uniform, however, you can be sure there will be plenty of backlash from fans, who already witnessed departures last season of mega-popular players Pence and Victorino.  Utley, Ruiz, Lee and Rollins are the remaining favorites, with Utley immeasurably ahead of the pack.  A local poll shows Utley's esteem in fans' eyes:

Who is the Phillies' all-time best second baseman?
Napoleon Lajoie (HOF, 1896-1900)
	1035 (7.7%)
Juan Samuel (1983-89)
	645 (4.8%)
Tony Taylor (1960-71, 1974-76)
	928 (6.9%)
Manny Trillo (1979-82)
	1345 (10.0%)
Chase Utley (2003-present)
	9449 (70.5%)
Total votes = 13402

 “My plan is to stay a Phillie for life”-- Utley, 7/08

According to ESPN, Utley's contract would enable him to block a trade to all but 8 teams.

It would break my heart to see him go in a late-career castoff amidst a team in ruins.  My daughter, at age 3, could give you his full injury report. However, you have to think that his career longevity would be better served in the AL, where he could DH for years to come.  This perennial partial season dance has to be tiring for him, while playing in the field has taxed his body and shortened his career.  It has often been noted, publicly, how tiring it is for team management, especially Ruben Amaro, who has demonstrated a mounting frustration with Utley's absences over the past few years.

Utley's immortal words when he was drunk off his behind on live TV at the '08 World Series Parade are vividly recallable: "WORLD F-ING CHAMPIONS!"

The next year, '09, the Phils repeated as NL Champs and Utley tied Reggie Jackson for the all-time World Series HR record with 5 vs. Jackson's former team, the NY Yankees.

Former President and former baseball team owner George Bush Jr. famously picked Utley as the player he would most like to begin a franchise with.  (Ironically, the 2nd and only other player he named was then Blue Jay, now Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay.)


Former Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson observed: "I don't know if there's a perfect swing. But his is as close to it as you can be. He's amazing, one of the most amazing hitters I've ever seen."

Former hitting coach and longtime Utley manager and admirer Charlie Manuel expounded on this widely held notion: "At times, he can put close to what you'd call a perfect swing on the ball.  It's good balance, rhythm, load, and at the same time getting a ball that you'd like to hit. And just, very slight, underneath the center of the ball. He's a very stylish hitter... Utley’s one of the best players in the game. You sit and watch him day in and day out, and he consistently hits the ball hard. He’s a tremendous hitter."

Utley goes all-out, all the time.

"I think he is absolutely recognized as the gamer in our game," Phils president David Montgomery once said of him. "I don't think there's any question about that."

"He's a gamer," said Jim Thome, his former teammate. "The bigger the situation, he thrives on it. And you can't teach that. Either you have it or you don't."

"I've always been taught to play the game hard," says Utley, who is perennially MLB's Hit-By-Pitch leader. "Baseball is such a tough game, it really humbles you at times. You just have to try not to get too high or too low. The harder you play this game, the more you get out of it." 

“I’ve never seen a guy as prepared as Chase,” Charlie Manuel said. “He’s always early, and he hits every day. He eats it and sleeps it. Puckett for me was the ideal baseball player until I met Chase.  I see how Utley goes about his business day in and day out, how he prepares and how he plays. He’s tremendous — his dedication, his determination... I think he’s the best player I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a long time.”

Utley's defense has more often been an asset than recognized.

One thing is certain:  If the Phils do part ways with Utley in coming weeks or even at the end of the season when his contract expires, it will absolutely be the end of an era, more than losing any other member of the team, except Rollins, who has defined this incarnation of Phillies and its swagger.  Despite his age, the Phils retained Rollins with a 3-year, $33-million deal in '11. Will they do the same for Chase?  Will he accept as few years as Rollins did?  Can he honestly contribute as effectively or play with regularity at this point in his career?  Rollins rewarded the team with a very productive '12, which included 23 HR, his usual superlative defense and an impressive 156 games played, his most since his '07 MVP season.

This is obviously a different team than the '11 incarnation.  The '11 Phils finished with a franchise best 102 wins.  They could afford to keep an aging icon of the squad.  This team is struggling below the waterline to reach .500.  Last season, management made it clear they are willing to dump payroll to protect company interest.  There is no surplus of success to ride on.  It's a belt-tightening time.  The next casualties may very well be Utley and Papelbon and will almost certainly be Ruiz after the season (due to the minor league depth the team now has at catcher).

Utley is not only a beloved Philly athlete, but has been one of its absolute best during his 11 years in a Major League uniform, all for the Phils.  He is a dedicated and active Philadelphian and has given his heart, soul and body to the team and its fans.  Two of my feature posts on him can be read by clicking the links below:

Utley Plunked, Phils Win  - September 3, 2009

With Utley, So Go the Phils - March 10, 2011

There was an article published by CBS Sports Sunday that addresses the limitations of his career due to injury.  It's a downer, but worthwhile: "The Great Chase Utley and What Could Have Been."

Meanwhile, an article this week from SI.com addresses the state of the Phillies as the trade deadline approaches.  The angle is a sobering evaluation of the team, strongly suggesting they should be sellers NOW.  The article can be read at: http://mlb.si.com/2013/06/25/as-papelbon-struggles-phillies-need-for-teardown-intensifies/.