MILWAUKEE — Chase Utley is swinging his bat but the Philadelphia Phillies second baseman also is clenching his jaw — as in, not talking.
As trade rumors fly around the sweet-swinging veteran who was a major part of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship and 2009 National League pennant teams, Utley has remained silent.
Reports have linked Utley to the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs. With Utley having full rights to nix any trade, it is believed he would prefer a trade that sends him closer to his native Southern California. That makes the Los Angeles Angels a fit and may leave the Cubs in a snit.
Utley did not speak with the media over the weekend in Milwaukee, but manager Pete Mackanin is impressed by what he sees. Asked what he would think if he was a scout, Mackanin said, “I’d say I have high interest in him for whatever my purposes may be. Since he started playing (again) he doesn’t look like he’s 36 years old. He looks pretty frisky.”
Utley did not play Sunday, a day Mackanin planned to give him off. He was available to pinch-hit. While the Phillies would love to get a nice return on the veteran as they try to rebuild from the worst record in baseball, Mackanin is stuck in the difficult position of finding playing time for Utley and the youngsters the Phillies hope are the future.
“We like ‘Ut,’ but it is an issue for me because I have to try to play everybody and the guys that deserve to play, like Hernandez and so forth, I want them to play,” Mackanin said. “But I want Utley to play too. It is not an easy task for me, but we’ll do what we can.”
The Phillies are off on Monday and host the Toronto Blue Jays for a two-game series beginning Tuesday.