The big trade deadline in Major League Baseball each year is July 31. If trades don’t take place before then, teams have to expose players to waiver claims before they can trade them. However, MLB betting fans and their teams have another important trade deadline August 31. If the trade does not happen by then, then the players being shipped are not eligible to be on a postseason roster. One of the big names floating around the August 31 deadline is Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.
MLB Betting Trades and Other Rumors Around the League
When you hear that Chase Utley may be traded today… pic.twitter.com/WfG3hSaOnt
— Life Of A Philly Fan (@PhillyFanLife) August 19, 2015
Utley is one of the last remaining players from the Phillies teams that won the World Series in 2008 and went back in 2009, falling to the New York Yankees. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bob Brookover, the Phillies are waiting on Utley to decide whether he wants to be traded or not, as the team is waiting to give their second base job to Cesar Hernandez.
Utley is a 10-5 player, which means that he has a minimum of 10 years of service at the major league level, including the last five or more with the same team. Given that Utley is one of the most competitive players in the game, it doesn’t make sense that he would exercise those 10-5 rights and turn down a trade to a contender. The Cubs, Angels and Giants all have interest in bringing Utley to their rosters. He did hit well below .200 for much of the year until he went on the disabled list. After that, though, he has played well, bringing his trade value up.
What do the Phils want in return? According to ESPN Insider Jim Bowden, the Phillies might send Utley and some money to San Francisco in exchange for Kyle Crick, a talented pitching prospect. The Giants’ second baseman, Joe Panik, is still recovering from a lower back injury.
