Chase Utley hot at plate, but GM says veteran 'likely' to stay put with Phillies

Marc Lancaster

Chase Utley hot at plate, but GM says veteran 'likely' to stay put with Phillies image

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday that he expects Chase Utley to remain with the team through the end of the season, but don't close the book on a potential trade just yet.

With nearly two weeks remaining until the Aug. 31 deadline that would make Utley eligible to play in the postseason for a new team, nothing is a done deal at this point.

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Asked Tuesday morning on WIP radio about Utley's status, Amaro had this response: "As I told you before, it’s very likely he’ll be here in Philadelphia through the end of the year and we’ll see what happens after that."

He then declined to comment on two follow-up questions about whether the team had submitted potential trade offers to Utley, who has a full no-trade clause.

Regardless of where negotiations stand, Utley has helped his market value since returning from the disabled list Aug. 7. Hitting a brutal .179/.257/.275 when he went on the DL in late June with an ankle injury, the veteran has seen his average rise by 34 points and his OPS by 82 in seven games since his return. Utley is 13 of 26 with five doubles and a home run in that span.

Amaro was asked if he thought Utley had turned it up a notch because of the swirling trade rumors, with the comparison drawn to Cole Hamels' no-hitter in his final start before being dealt to Texas.

"I think with Chase it’s more about him being closer to 100-percent healthy than any of that," Amaro said. "He plays hard, he’s always playing at 100 percent, he’s always ready to play with pretty much the same intensity. But who knows? Maybe he has a little bit more of an edge right now because he wants to show himself and the world that he is Chase Utley, and maybe that’s what he’s been doing over the last several days."

Reports have said Utley's primary concern in deciding whether to approve a trade to a contender is about playing time. It's unlikely anyone — including the Phillies — would be able to make him any guarantees on that front, but if he stays healthy and keeps hitting, a potential suitor might just be able to tell him whatever he wants to hear and get him out of Philadelphia.

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.