The Philadelphia Phillies traded second baseman Chase Utley to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
The deal hasn’t been finalized yet. The Phillies will get two minor leaguers, who are “mid-level” prospects, while the Dodgers will also get $2 million in addition to Utley, according to CBS Sports, which first reported the trade. The $2 million is to help cover the rest of Utley’s salary. The Dodgers haven’t offered to extend Utley’s contract, which expires this year.
Utley has no-trade protection and he must approve any deal. The Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Angels were among the teams that reportedly had an interest in Utley. He had preferred to go to Southern California.
Utley was drafted by the Phillies in 2000, and has spent his entire career with the team. Injuries have limited him to just 73 games this season. He is hitting .217 with five homeruns and 30 RBIs, according to Fox Sports. Since coming off of the DL Utley is hitting .484 with one homerun, five doubles, and five RBIs.
The Phillies are 46-73, which is the worst record in the majors. They are 18 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.