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Phillies Rumors: Chase Utley Could be Traded Today

By Tim Kelly

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According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Philadelphia Phillies’ second-baseman Chase Utley could be traded today.

Of course, yesterday Phillies’ general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told 94 WIP that a Chase Utley trade was ‘very unlikely’. And as Rosenthal mentioned above, it could be. The Phillies and Utley seem like they are going to decide one way or another whether he will be dealt today. If he’s with the Phillies tonight, he probably will be for the rest of 2015.

However, it’s also possible that Utley was being difficult as the Phillies were attempting to get him to accept a trade, and this was their way of posturing him into moving on to a contender.

That theory seems to make a good amount of success considering that not only Amaro went on the radio yesterday, but Pat Gillick told a station in Toronto that Utley would likely remain with the Phillies for ‘at least the rest of the season’.

Utley has been connected to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants in trade rumors. Giants’ GM Bobby Evans even publicly admitted that the team was waiting to hear back on an offer for Utley.

Utley is hitting just .217 this year, but considering where he’s come from, that average actually looks impressive. Since coming back from an ankle injury that cost him well over a month of the season, Utley is batting .484, while slugging .742.

Utley does have 10-and-5 rights, meaning he has to accept any trade. He’s cleared through waivers, so that part is out of the way. But even if the Phillies were to agree in principle to a trade, which they may already have, Utley could block the trade. Reports have been mixed on whether Utley would be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

Update 2:33 p.m.

Jayson Stark and Jon Heyman confirm Rosenthal’s report. The two LA teams seem likely, largely because Utley will be able to all-but pick which team he’s dealt to if he’s going to be traded.

Update 3:00 p.m.

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says that the Giants don’t believe they are going to end up landing Utley, and think he will land with an LA team if dealt.

"Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal just sent an interesting Tweet saying the Chase Utley saga could be coming to a head with a possible trade Wednesday. While the Giants are still waiting to hear from the Phillies on their offer, and Utley on his desire to play in San Francisco, the Giants believe Utley will go to one of the Southern California clubs if he is moved at all.The second baseman holds most of the cards because he has earned full no-trade rights. Although he lives in Marin County in the offseason, his primary goal is playing time, and he could get more with the Dodgers and Angels. He also grew up in SoCal."

Update 3:10 p.m.

MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says the Phillies and Dodgers are ‘moving closer’ to a deal for Utley.

"The Phillies and Dodgers are moving closer to a trade for Chase Utley, sources told MLB.com on Wednesday."

Multiple other reporters have confirmed the Dodgers as the front-runner.

Update 3:40 p.m.

Rosenthal says the Phillies would land two minor leaguers in a potential Utley trade and take on roughly $4 million in the deal.

Update 3:50 p.m.

Utley has been dealt to the Dodgers. Head over here for more details.

Stay tuned as we learn more…

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