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Poll: Trading Chase Utley

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The Chase Utley rumors have been fairly plentiful since he returned from the disabled list last weekend. The longtime Phillies second baseman was put on revocable trade waivers almost immediately, and he cleared earlier this week, making him eligible to be traded to any team.

The Giants are said to be in talks for Utley and even discussing specific prospect names that would head back from San Francisco, and he’s also been connected to the Cubs, Dodgers and Yankees, each of which has had various second base issues. The Giants are currently without Joe Panik, who won’t even begin baseball activities until next week. The Cubs have moved Addison Russell to shortstop and seem likely to keep him there, but they have both Starlin Castro and Chris Coghlan to handle second base (though neither’s played there at all in recent seasons). The Dodgers recently lost Howie Kendrick to the disabled list and have filled his roster spot with the promising but inexperienced Jose Peraza for now. And the Yankees have struggled at second base all season, with Stephen Drew receiving the bulk of playing time at the position.

Utley, once one of the most consistently potent bats in the National League, has faded significantly in 2015, though injuries have played a part to some extent. He’s appeared in five games since returning last Friday and hit in all five, and he’ll have the rest of the month to convince interested teams that he’s healthy (though a trade may not take that long to come to fruition). Utley’s $15MM vesting option is a non-factor now, as he should fall comfortably shy of the 500 plate appearances required to trigger that hefty payday even if he were to jump into an everyday role. Instead, the option will be valued between $5-11MM and come with a $2MM buyout. He has about $4.43MM in remaining salary plus a $2MM buyout on that option, so the Phillies will have to kick in some money in order to facilitate a deal, but they’ve been previously willing to do so.

All of that said, let’s open this one up for public debate (App users, you can cast your votes here)…

AL East Notes: Gillick, Dipoto, Yankees, Jones, Jennings

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Earlier today, it was reported that former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto had joined the Red Sox’ front office on an interim basis to serve in an advisory capacity in the offseason. That came from Peter Gammons, who also said today in an MLB Network appearance (video link, with Red Sox talk beginning at about 5:15) that he can “see them at least making overtures to bringing in Pat Gillick” as an adviser to be another voice in the front office. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Red Sox haven’t yet sought permission to speak to the 77-year-old Gillick, who is stepping down as Phillies president at season’s end and giving way to Andy MacPhail. As Cafardo notes, the idea in the addition of some extra advisers is to bring some fresh sets of eyes to the Red Sox’ decision-making process.

Elsewhere in the AL East…

  • Red Sox manager John Farrell addressed the addition of Dipoto following today’s loss to the Marlins, as WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. Said the Sox skipper: “He’s come in to review our system, our big league club. I know it’s an objective view to be brought in and give feedback, information to Ben, his assessment and recommendations going forward.” Bradford likens the hiring to that of Allard Baird, the former Royals GM who joined the Red Sox as a consultant after he was dismissed in Kansas City. Baird, though, went on to assume a more permanent position with the Sox, as he’s currently their vice president of player personnel. A similar outcome could conceivably be in store for Dipoto, though as Ken Rosenthal reported earlier today, Dipoto’s free to GM opportunities with other clubs at any time.
  • The Yankees elected to hang onto their top prospects rather than make a huge splash at the non-waiver trade deadline, and owner Hal Steinbrenner told the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff that he played a part in that decision. “I don’t think we kind of had the glaring need that you would address by giving up one of your Triple-A prospects,” said Steinbrenner. “…I didn’t want to give those kids up. We’ve been looking at them for two, three years now. They’ve progressed perfectly.” Steinbrenner noted that he was particularly reluctant to do so for a “loaner,” adding that the proximity of much of the organization’s minor league talent to the big league level was another factor.
  • Garrett Jones is at somewhat of a crossroads after again being designated for assignment by the Yankees, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. The veteran first baseman/outfielder is well-liked by his teammates and the coaches and told King that the feeling is mutual, making it difficult to leave. However, he’s also wary about having been let go twice, though, King writes. “I have to talk to my agent and wife and see what’s best for my career: Stay here or go to the new team,” Jones said. King also provides health updates on Michael Pineda and Dustin Ackley.
  • Desmond Jennings’ prolonged stint on the disabled list is over, as the Rays announced to reporters, including Sports Talk Florida’s Matt Stein (Twitter link), that Joey Butler will be optioned to make room for Jennings’ return Friday. Jennings has been out since late April due to a left knee injury and underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the issue a little more than two months ago.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/12/15

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Here are today’s minor moves, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Pirates have outrighted right-hander Wilfredo Boscan to Triple-A.  According to MLB Trade Rumors’ Zach Links (via Twitter), Boscan can choose to reject this assignment since this is the second time he has been outrighted, and the Bucs are awaiting his decision.  Boscan, a nine-year minor league veteran, is still waiting to make his Major League debut despite three stints on Pittsburgh’s roster in 2015.  He was designated for assignment last week.
  • The Phillies selected the contract of left-hander Cesar Jimenez from Triple-A, the team announced.  Righty David Buchanan was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Jimenez has been designated for assignment and outrighted three times in three seasons by Philadelphia, most recently in April.  He has a 2.67 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 33 2/3 IP with the Phillies since 2013, including two-thirds of an inning this season.
  • The Padres outrighted catcher Tim Federowicz to Triple-A, the team announced.  Federowicz was designated for assignment on August 1 following his reinstatement from the 60-day DL.  The veteran backstop suffered a meniscus tear during Spring Training and has been limited to just 18 minor league games in 2015.
  • Six players still remain in ’DFA limbo,’ which you can see for yourself via the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker.

Players Who Have Cleared Revocable Waivers

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MLBTR will continue to update this post as players reportedly clear revocable trade waivers, making it a running list of players that may be traded to any club in the season’s final two months. Player names are linked to the source articles, and this article can always be found under the MLBTR Features portion of the sidebar on the right side of the page.

First, several notes are in order. For one, many players have and will clear waivers without public reports revealing that status. (Some of them have already been traded, such as Mike Napoli.) Remember, also, that players must be acquired by August 31 to be eligible for their new team’s postseason roster. Click here for a further explanation of the August waiver and trade rules. And bear in mind that a player’s no-trade rights remain effective even if he clears waivers.

Last Updated: 8/29/2015

  • Aaron Harang, Phillies — The Phillies will have trouble dealing Harang due to lousy production. He has a 7.09 ERA since the All Star break. He has about $1MM left on his $5MM contract. He’ll be a free agent after the season. If anybody acquires him, it will be as a September spot starter.
  • Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox — The Red Sox are already planning to experiment with Ramirez at first base. Presumably, the hope is that he’ll be healthier and more productive at the cold corner. His .249/.291/.426 line is a sharp disappointment, especially after a hot April. Since May 20, he’s hitting a painful .236/.275/.378. An August trade seems highly unlikely, but it can’t be ruled out entirely. The financial component may be the most difficult aspect to solve. He’s owed the balance of $19MM this season plus $22MM in each of the next three seasons. He also has a $22MM vesting option for 2019.
  • Pablo Sandoval, Red Sox — Like Ramirez, Sandoval has left fans wanting more in his first season with the Red Sox. He’s hitting a career worst .254/.304/.387, but he has shown some signs of life. Over his last 12 games, he’s slashing .265/.308/.469. The Red Sox have responded by bumping him to second in the lineup. He’s also looked more agile in the field. Several playoff contenders could upgrade at third base with a healthy Sandoval. However, it will be difficult to work around what’s left of his five-year, $95MM contract.
  • Starlin Castro, Cubs — Moved off of shortstop and still owed $38MM after the end of 2015, Castro is a risk. But at just 25 years of age, and possessing good offensive skills for an up-the-middle defender, plenty of teams would be interested in giving him a shot. A deal still seems rather unlikely over the last three days of August, though Castro could find himself heading elsewhere over the winter.
  • Austin Jackson, Mariners — Jackson was once a cornerstone-type center fielder, but he’s seen his productivity fall off quite a bit over the last two seasons. Now 28 and set to hit the market after the year, Jackson has about $1.725MM left on his contract (as of August 24th) and no longer looks like a starting-caliber acquisition for a contender, though he also isn’t a clear platoon option since he’s always posted neutral splits. On the positive side, Jackson is still capable of playing center and has some pop and speed.
  • Jonny Gomes, Braves — Gomes is a limited but useful player. The 34-year-old is a prototypical high-character clubhouse guy, and mashes lefties. Though his pop is well off recent levels this year, Gomes has had no trouble reaching base against opposing southpaws, and is playing on a relatively manageable $4MM salary this year. Plus, he comes with a $3MM club option for 2016. (The option vests at 325 plate appearances, but that seems unlikely for a part-time player.)
  • Dexter Fowler, Cubs — It’s somewhat surprising that the 29-year-old Fowler, who was owed $2.49MM through season’s end as of Aug. 18, would clear waivers. However, rival clubs probably assume that the Cubs have little intention of trading a regular, solid contributor in the midst of a playoff race. Fowler will be a free agent at season’s end and seems unlikely to change teams this month.
  • Addison Reed, Diamondbacks — Still just 26, Reed’s star has faded considerably since a trade to the Diamondbacks. This year, he’s lost the closer’s role and been optioned to Triple-A, though he’s been sharp since his return to the Majors. In the first 10 innings following his recall, Reed yielded just one run on nine hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. But, he’s owed $1.33MM through season’s end (as of Aug. 17) and still has a an unsightly 4.46 ERA on the year as a whole.
  • David Aardsma, Braves — Through Aug. 17, Aardsma has a respectable 3.95 ERA and has averaged better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings. However, he’s also averaging 4.6 walks per nine and is generating grounders at less than a 30 percent clip. He’s affordable, as he signed a minor league contract with the Braves earlier in the year after opting out of a contract with the Dodgers.
  • Edward Mujica, Athletics — Mujica’s already been designated for assignment once (by the Red Sox) this season, and a trade to Oakland’s spacious park didn’t improve his numbers. In fact, he’s pitched worse with the A’s. Through Aug. 17, Mujica had yielded a ghastly .309/.336/.525 batting line to opposing hitters.
  • Fernando Rodney, Mariners — Rodney’s earning $7MM in 2015 and is having one of the worst seasons of his career. His strikeout and walk rates have both gone in the wrong direction, and while he’s still averaging a very healthy 94.9 mph on his heater, he’s sporting a disastrous 1.44 HR/9 rate as of Aug. 17.
  • John Axford, Rockies — Axford allowed only one run through his first 19 innings this season, but in the subsequent 19 2/3 innings, he melted down and allowed 19 runs on 29 hits and 15 walks. Some of his struggles are tied to Coors Field, but his poor control will be a factor regardless of what park he calls his home.
  • Jose Reyes, Rockies — The 32-year-old Reyes has struggled offensively since being dealt to the Rockies and has seen his defensive work take a hit over the past couple of seasons as well. He was still a very serviceable bat while playing with Toronto, though, and a departure from the artificial turf at the Rogers Centre could benefit his legs and back, perhaps even restoring some of his speed and range. Some have speculated on a potential move to second base for the former All-Star, who is owed about $54.37MM through the end of the 2017 season (as of Aug. 14).
  • Chase Utley, Phillies — Utley, 36, has produced at well below his typical rate for much of the year and just ended an extended DL stint. But he’s a highly-respected veteran, and the ankle issue could explain his struggles. Indeed, Utley has looked more like himself since returning to action. He’s owed about $4.5MM the rest of the way (as of Aug. 11), but the absence means that he won’t be a threat to trigger a vesting option for next year. For teams looking to bolster their options at second base down the stretch, Utley will surely hold appeal.
  • James Shields, Padres — The veteran hurler is in the first season of a four-year pact, making him an atypical trade candidate, but San Diego’s struggles and desire to clear payroll could see him dangled. There’s only about $2MM left to pay in 2015 (as of Aug. 11), but the deal is backloaded: it comes with $65MM in future guarantees (including the buyout on a $16MM option for 2019). The contract does have an opt-out after next season. Shields is already 33, and hasn’t been quite as good this season as in years past, but he’s still a durable and reliable arm who could help a lot of clubs.

NL Notes: Brewers’ GM Search, Giants, Utley, Russell, Fernandez

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Brewers owner Mark Attanasio outlined a composed and orderly search for his organization’s next general manager, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. Attanasio says that he won’t be in a rush to make a decision, and will pursue a “corporate”-style process, though he hopes to install a new GM before the Winter Meetings. “The process needs to be exhaustive, so as a result, there is no timetable for the process,” he explained. Per Attanasio, the organization is likely to go with a “younger person” as its chief baseball decisionmaker, and he’ll consider candidates from inside and outside not only the organization but also the game of baseball. (He called it “unlikely, but possible” that the team would ultimately go with an “outside the box” choice.) The owner added that he is open minded about what kind of contention timeline the organization will pursue, saying he would “like to see it more in the two to three years” range but noting that “we don’t want to do something halfway.”

  • Giants GM Bobby Evans talked about the team’s second base questions, as Carl Seward of the Bay Area News Group reports (links to Twitter). Joe Panik is at least a week away from beginning baseball activity, increasing the urgency of an addition. While Evans confirmed interest in Chase Utley of the Phillies, he indicated that the asking price remains above his comfort level. San Francisco is looking at multiple options to add depth up the middle, per the GM.
  • The Cubs will utilize Addison Russell as the team’s primary shortstop, manager Joe Maddon told the press today, including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links). Starlin Castro appears ticketed for more of a utility role and could line up at second against lefties. Looking ahead, Maddon said that Russell is “absolutely” the shortstop of the future. Of course, the 25-year-old Castro is under team control through 2020 (the final year through an option), and he’s lined up to be the subject of immense offseason trade speculation.
  • The Marlins feel good about the health of young ace Jose Fernandez, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. The diagnosis of a biceps strain was “great news,” said Fernandez, who added that he has felt no pain since. He added that he has every hope and intention of returning to pitch again this season.

Chase Utley Clears Waivers

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Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has cleared waivers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. That means that he can now be freely traded, subject only to Utley’s full no-trade clause.

While multiple clubs have shown interest in the veteran, it comes as no surprise that he went unclaimed on revocable waivers. Though Utley’s 2016 option is no longer likely to vest, he is still owed just over $4.5MM for the rest of the season.

Philadelphia has already moved many of its veteran players, but several still remain. In addition to Utley, the Phils still employ first baseman Ryan Howard, catcher Carlos Ruiz, righty Aaron Harang, and outfielder Jeff Francoeur. All have seen their names arise in trade rumors at some point in recent months.

Despite his struggles this year, Utley remains an interesting player for contenders to consider. The highly-respected veteran has been hitting well since returning from a lengthy DL stint, and the removal of the complication of the vesting option makes him a much more marketable asset. While his current slash line still stands at a meager .190/.262/.294, he’s produced at a solidly above-average clip (or better) for each of the past ten seasons.

Then, of course, there’s the fact that several teams are dealing with injuries or performance issues at the second base position. The Giants, Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, and Yankees have all been connected to the 36-year-old in some regard, and he’s shown a willingness to consider waiving his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal. While Philadelphia will obviously need to pay down some of his salary to make something happen, most of the roadblocks appear to have been cleared at this point.

NL East Notes: Utley, Marlins, Mets, Fister

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The Giants, Yankees and Cubs — three potential Chase Utley suitors — all had scouts in attendance at last night’s Phillies game, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. According to Salisbury, that’s the fourth straight game in which the Giants have kept tabs on Utley, who was in the game at first base as a possible means of showcasing him to trade partners. He also lists the Dodgers as a potential trade partner in the wake of Howie Kendrick’s injury, although L.A. has called up top prospect Jose Peraza for the time being. Salisbury also notes that Utley has been hitting leadoff since returning to the lineup, possibly as a means to maximize his plate appearances in front of interested scouts.

Here’s more from the NL East…

  • The Miami Herald’s Greg Cote urges the Marlins to end the Dan Jennings experiment in the dugout and allow the former GM to return to the front office role for which he is better suited. Cote opines that if the goal is to bring in an experienced manager to command respect in the clubhouse and signal a commitment to winning — as others have written — then the Marlins should act now rather than wait until the offseason, when other teams are offering competition for such types. If the Marlins are to hire someone like Ron Gardenhire or Bud Black, doing so now would allow the new manager time to assess his team and what he feels is needed this winter while also affording Jennings more time to prepare for the offseason alongside president of baseball ops Michael Hill.
  • The Mets opted to keep Michael Conforto on the 25-man roster upon Michael Cuddyer’s return from the DL (Eric Campbell was instead optioned to Triple-A), and as ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin writes, GM Sandy Alderson foreshadowed that decision to some extent in stressing the team’s current win-at-all-costs mentality. “Our mindset is we want the best 25 players we can put on the field,” said Alderson prior to the official announcement of the Conforto/Campbell decision. “Issues of development, etc., are secondary to whether anybody can help us now. That’s all relative based on who’s doing what and comparisons among players.”
  • GammonsDaily.com’s David Golebiewski breaks down the reasons for Doug Fister’s ill-timed and rapid decline. As Golebiweski notes, Fister’s gone from one of the game’s most underrated starting pitchers to a long reliever in short order and isn’t likely to receive another chance to start this season unless the Nationals incur an injury in the rotation. The timing couldn’t be worse, of course, as he’s now a few short months from free agency. Fister’s robust ground-ball rate has fallen below the league average, he’s throwing significantly slower and getting crushed up in the zone as a result of it, and his command of his secondary pitches has deteriorated, Golebiewski points out.

Chase Utley Placed On Revocable Waivers

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10:24pm: Morosi clarifies that Utley was actually placed on waivers on Sunday (via Twitter). That means that his claim period will expire tomorrow.

11:32am: The Phillies placed second baseman Chase Utley on revocable trade waivers on Saturday, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). That waiver period would expire today if Utley goes unclaimed, at which point he’d be eligible to be traded to any team. (For those who are unfamiliar with revocable waivers, MLBTR has already posted a more in-depth look at how August trades work.) Utley, of course, still has 10-and-5 rights and could veto any trade of which he does not approve.

The 36-year-old Utley was activated from the disabled list after a lengthy absence due to a sprained right ankle. He batted just .179/.257/.275 in 65 games before landing on the DL, though he’s given interested teams at least a flicker of reason for optimism; Utley has four hits (three doubles) in 10 plate appearances since being activated and also went 6-for-11 in a brief, three-game rehab assignment in the minors.

That minuscule sample size does little to mask the reasons that make it difficult to trade Utley. In addition to his dismal first-half production and no-trade protection, Utley is also an expensive asset. He’s earning $15MM this season, of which about $4.59MM remains. The Phillies would almost certainly have to include some form of cash considerations in order to facilitate a deal.

Utley’s injury may have helped the Phillies improve their chances of trading him in another way, though, as he’s still 241 plate appearances shy of triggering a $15MM vesting option for the 2016 season. With about two thirds of the season in the books, Utley would need to average 4.6 to 4.7 plate appearances per game to trigger the option — an unattainable rate even if he were to play every day.

Utley has been connected to a number of teams despite his struggles. The Giants are the most recent team that have been linked to him, but the Cubs, Angels, Dodgers and Yankees have also been tied to Utley in various media reports. He’s yet to firmly indicate that he would approve a trade, but he did recently say he would “definitely listen” to a proposed trade scenario if approached by the Phillies’ front office “out of respect” for the team.

Phillies Acquire Tyler Pastornicky From Rangers

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The Rangers announced that they’ve traded Triple-A infielder Tyler Pastornicky to the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.

Formerly a Braves prospect, Pastornicky never grabbed hold of Atlanta’s second base or shortstop job and was eventually released by the Braves in Spring Training. He signed a minor league deal with the Rangers shortly thereafter and has batted .281/.322/.366 between Texas’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.

The Phillies announced that Pastornicky will join their Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, so it would seem that he’ll serve as a depth piece for the team over the final third of the season. The 25-year-old will hope for a return to the Majors and better results than the .243/.295/.314 batting line he posted in 268 plate appearances across parts of three big league seasons with the Braves from 2012-14.

Giants Scouting Chase Utley

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The Giants had a scout watching the Phillies/Padres series in San Diego this weekend with the purpose of watching Chase Utley, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports.  Utley made his return from the disabled list this weekend and went 4-for-10 over the three games, contributing three doubles, two runs and two RBI in Philadelphia’s sweep of the Padres.  It was Utley’s first game action since June 22.

Utley may be one of the most closely-watched veterans of the August waiver period, as the Cubs, Angels and Yankees have already been rumored to be interested in the veteran second baseman.  The Giants’ interest is tied to the health of Joe Panik, who is on the DL with lower back inflammation.  As Salisbury notes, Utley could be acquired for depth and leadership purposes since Panik is expected to return.  Since Utley has hit only .189/.263/.294 this season, it’s also maybe a stretch that Utley can be relied on as an everyday replacement unless he shows signs of his old form.

San Francisco may be an ideal trade destination for Utley, as his family’s offseason home is in the Bay Area.  He has no-trade protection as a 10-and-5 player, and Utley has said he’s open to exploring whatever trade options the Phillies bring to him.

Utley is owed approximately $4.59MM for the remainder of the season, and he has a $15MM vesting option for 2016 that will be unlocked if he receives 500 plate appearances this season.  He has 259 PA after today’s action, and his lengthy DL stint makes it unlikely he’ll reach that vesting plateau.  With less than 500 PA, the option become a club option worth between $5MM-$11MM (depending on time spent on the DL) with a $2MM buyout.

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