UPDATE: Jim Salisbury reports that the Phillies will pick up $4 million of Utley’s contract.
Well, it’s the end of another era in Phillies baseball.
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the Phillies and Dodgers have agreed on a deal to send Chase Utley to Los Angeles for two unnamed minor leaguers and $2 million $4 million of the 36-year-old’s remaining $6 million. Nothing has been made official at the moment.
Utley will be reunited with former double play-partner Jimmy Rollins. The pair will try to win their second World Series championship.
The extent of Utley’s playing time in L.A. is unknown. Second baseman Howie Kendrick is currently on the disabled list, but is expected to return soon. 23-year-old Enrique Hernandez has played well in Kendricks’ absence. First base is another position Utley could play, but Adrian Gonzalez is having an MVP-caliber season.
Utley is the most beloved Phillie from the 2008 World Series club. His hustle and gritty style of play quickly made him a fan favorite among the Phillie faithful. He will go down as the best second baseman in Phillies history, and the best position player since Mike Schmidt.
In 5,748 at-bats with the Phillies, Utley batted .282 with 233 home runs and 916 RBIs. He ranks second all-time in Phillies history with a 9.0 WAR.
