Chase Utley was set to be a possible pick up for anyone looking for a good lefty bat in the middle of their lineup. That is no longer a possibility. Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly agreed to a two-year extension worth $25-$30 million, according to MLB.com citing a source. The deal also includes options for more years.
"I love Philadelphia," said Utley. "I've always envisioned playing here. I've never envisioned playing anywhere else. I hope that remains a possibility."
Although Utley missed about a month of 2013 on the disabled list with a strained oblique, he has had a good season. The 34-year old is batting .277 with 15 homers and 43 RBIs.
The California-native has not been healthy the past few years due to injury. He has missed at least 40 games in the last four years. However, when he is healthy the second baseman is more than capable of batting anywhere from third to sixth in the lineup. As far as his fielding goes, it will be interesting to see if Utley—who will be 35 at the end of the year—will be able to cover ground at second base as he gets older.
The Phillies are currently fourth in the National League East with a record of 51-62. Despite their struggles this season, Utley sees a bright future for the Phils.
"Obviously, right now we have a few guys that are banged up, that aren't on the field, some of our main contributors," he said. "But we have some solid pieces. Obviously, we all want to improve and I think everybody in this room can improve. So I like what I see. Obviously, we have to play better baseball, though."
Despite his oblique injury Utley said he’s “felt good.”
"I feel like the program that I have been doing has worked,” said Utley. “I've been able to stay on the field for the most part and be fairly productive. I plan on continuing to do that."
Utley felt so good that he ran over Chicago Cubs catcher Dioner Navarro at the plate in the Phillies 5-2 loss to the cubs Wednesday night. Although Navarro held onto the ball, he had to leave the game due to an injured left leg.
