August 12, 2015
The San Francisco Giants have kept a close eye on Chase Utley as of late, sending a scout to last weekend’s series in San Diego and following the Phillies to Arizona to continue to watch the 36-year-old second baseman. In the desert, scouts from the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs joined the Giants.
According to Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi, the Giants are the team with the most interest in acquiring Utley. In fact, things are reportedly getting pretty serious:
Sources: #SFGiants and #Phillies in ongoing talks about Chase Utley trade. Stage is advanced enough that prospect names have been discussed.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 12, 2015
Chase Utley a good fit for #SFGiants roster. Joe Panik may not return until Sept. 1, and even then he may not be ready to play every day.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 12, 2015
Once Panik returns, #SFGiants could go with Utley at 1B, Panik at 2B, and Belt in LF. Belt has 10 starts there this year. (Aoki back now.)
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 12, 2015
Utley cleared waivers yesterday, so now he can be traded anywhere before August 31st. He also has 10-and-5 rights, which means he can veto any trade if he wishes to remain a Phillie. Utley is 7-17 with three doubles since coming off the disabled list last weekend. He also made it clear that he would at least listen to Ruben Amaro, Jr. any trade proposals were brought his way.
Why would Utley want to stay in Phillies pinstripes? The lure of playing for one team his entire career, which Will Leitch pointed out is a pretty rare feat nowadays over at Sports on Earth:
And now he's about to be gone, wearing another team's uniform for the first time, finishing his career in unfamiliar surroundings, an odd blip at the end that we try to forget about but can't. One wonders if it's tempting for Utley to simply refused to be traded and go ahead and retire as a Phillie, never once soiled by being seen in another team's jersey. Because while opportunities to win a World Series are rare, spending your entire career in one jersey is even rarer. Currently, Utley is the active leader in plate appearances made for only one franchise, and he's 59th all-time, a designation he'll lose if he's shipped out by Aug. 31. This is something that's just not done anymore.
Of course, the Giants provide Utley with something that the Phillies can’t: an opportunity to win one more championship.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
