Chase Utley is finally headed out of Philadelphia.
The veteran second baseman has signed off on a trade that will send him to the Dodgers to play out the final season of his contract.
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The deal was finalized Wednesday night and announced after the Phillies' home game against the Blue Jays. The Phillies received a pair of minor leaguers in exchange for Utley: Triple-A outfielder Darnell Sweeney and Single-A right-hander John Richy. Sweeney, who stole 32 bases at Oklahoma City, will be promoted to the Phillies' 25-man roster.
Fox Sports reports the Phillies will pay about two-thirds of the approximately $6 million remaining on Utley's contract this season, with the Dodgers picking up the rest.
Utley's name had been floated in trade rumors for months as the flailing Phillies try to unload contracts and get younger. He cleared waivers last week, making him eligible to be dealt to any team, but the holdup seemed to have been Utley's control over where he would end up. As a player with 10 years' service time, the last five with the same club, he had the right to veto any trade.
Reports the last few weeks indicated Utley's main concern was about playing time. The Giants, for instance, had been mentioned as a possible suitor with All-Star Joe Panik on the disabled list. But it was unclear where Utley might have fit into the lineup after Panik's anticipated return.
The same dilemma might apply in Los Angeles, where Howie Kendrick went on the disabled list last week with a hamstring strain. Manager Don Mattingly said at the time he expects the veteran to miss at least three weeks, leaving Kike Hernandez and Jose Peraza holding down second base.
Utley just came off the disabled list after recovering from an ankle injury and has been on a tear since being activated, going 15 for 31 with five doubles and one home run since Aug. 7. That helped show he might have something left in the tank after he struggled mightily at the plate through the first few months of the season, but the decision on whether he would finish out 2015 in a new jersey ultimately was in his hands.
The 36-year-old had spent his entire career with Philadelphia after the team made him its first-round pick in 2000 out of UCLA. He's a six-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner at second base, where he spent the bulk of his career playing alongside Jimmy Rollins — who is now the Dodgers' shortstop.
Being back home in Southern California (he's a .320/.389/.613 career hitter at Dodger Stadium) surely was a factor in Utley's decision, but perhaps not as much of one as getting another shot at the playoffs. The Dodgers (67-52) entered play Wednesday in first place in the NL West, leading the Giants by two games. The Phillies, at 47-73, had the worst record in baseball.
This article has been updated with the announcement of the trade.
