PHOTO: AP/Kathy Willens
Will Chase Utley stay, or will he go? That’s the question with the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline just 13 days away.
While there are many who believe that Utley is destined to land on a contending team’s roster, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. believes that it is “very likely” that the 36-year-old will remain in Philadelphia for at least the remainder of the 2015 season.
“It is very likely [Utley] will be here in Philadelphia through the end of the year and then we’ll see what happens after that,” Amaro said in an interview with WIP Tuesday morning.
Amaro had previously expressed a similar notion in an interview with WIP last week, where he said that he thought the All-Star second baseman would be on the club at the end of the season.
Utley has been the target of several contending teams looking to add a veteran bat for the final stretch of the season and the playoffs. Of the teams interested, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and the San Francisco Giants were considered the favorites to land the second baseman.
However, Utley still holds 10-and-5 rights, which allows him to veto any potential trade, and he may not be willing to leave the team that drafted him.
phils gm says utley is unlikely to be traded now. word is, chase still likes philly & has been less than anxious to leave.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 18, 2015
The veteran has looked great since returning from the disabled list, recording 13 hits in 26 at-bats with six extra-base hits and five RBIs.
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