The Phillies have reportedly sent longtime second baseman and fan-favorite Chase Utley to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two prospects. For Utley, it will be a bitter-sweet ending. His time in Philadelphia has been great, but it was time to move on and his hometown team will be a great spot to play out the end of his career. For the Phillies fan, it is yet another symbolic move away from a memorable era of Phillies baseball.
Chase Utley is one of the most beloved athletes in Philadelphia over the last 12 years. He was viewed as an unspoken leader of one of the best teams in baseball over the last decade and was on a path toward a possible Hall of Fame selection until injuries over the last couple of years slowed him down.
The Dodgers seem to be stockpiling veteran talent for a possible postseason run. Chase Utley brings veteran leadership, and teaming him up with former teammate Jimmy Rollins will make for a nostalgic double-play combo. I am not sure how much playing time Utley will be getting with the talent in the Dodgers lineup, but it may be a chance at another World Series title before his career is over.
The exact details of the trade and who the Phillies are getting in return have not been released yet, but I am sure it will not amount to what Phillies fans expect.