Chase Utley has been getting a lot of attention on the open market with waiver deadline approaching at the end of August. The infielder has returned healthy after a stint on the disabled list and many were viewing the veteran as the final piece to their playoff puzzle. The Philadelphia Phillies have been major sellers during this season, most recently giving away ace Cole Hamels, but Utley might no longer be for sale despite the interest.
According to Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr via 94WIP radio, Utley is not likely to be dealt this season and will remain with the team for the remainder of the year. Utley did clear waivers and could be sent to a team that is not involved in his no-trade clause, but Amaro believes that right now no trades will take place.
"As I told you before, it is very likely he'll be here in Philadelphia through the end of the year, and then we'll see what happens after that," Amaro said. "I don't feel Chase has a desire to leave Philly. And the Phillies don't have a desire to move him out of here. But like I've said, we're still open-minded. We're not in a mindset to move him. We're not in a mindset to keep him. We're just open-minded."
Utley has been getting a lot of interest on the option market which will force teams to shift their attention elsewhere if they need a roster upgrade of some kind. The New York Yankees are one of those teams as they eye a better option than the struggling Stephen Drew. According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Yankees could kick the tires around on Jose Reyes who cleared waivers for the Colorado Rockies. General manager Brian Cashman is not ok with the idea of adding a shortstop to the mix, but with the offense sputtering a bit, they might not have a choice.
Many fans want to see Rob Refsnyder brought back up to replace Drew who is hitting .194 right now. Heyman reports that while the Yankees do like Refsnyder, they are not aiming to bring him back up right now. All signs point to the Yankees staying put at the waiver deadline since Cashman has no desire to add more money to pay roll. With September call-ups just two weeks away, Refsnyder is the best candidate to come back to New York.
