Amaro On Utley Staying: 'I Would Think So'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Since returning from the disabled list, Chase Utley has led off for the Phillies in three of their last four games. On Monday, the Phillies acquired infielder Tyler Pastornicky from the Rangers for cash considerations. And lastly, scouts of multiple MLB teams were in the stands scouting Utley during Monday night's Phillies-Diamondbacks game.
So the Phils must be getting ready to trade the 36-year-old all-star second baseman, right?
"Not really," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told the 94WIP Morning Show on Tuesday. "Tyler Pastornicky was brought in frankly just to fill in a role at Triple-A. As far as Chase is concerned, again this is a guy who's got a 10-5 [no trade clause]. He is, in essence, controls his own fate. Frankly, he's playing very well for us and helping us win baseball games and it's very possible he's gonna end up finishing off the season with us."
Listen: Ruben Amaro Jr. on the 94WIP Morning Show
Will he be a Phillie at the end of the season?
"I would think so," Amaro said. "Again, and a lot of it is controlled by Chase himself. As I said, he's a 10-5 player. There's no mandate. No one is telling us that we need to move him. He's versatile in that he can play first and second base. He can hit anywhere in the lineup.
"People are trying to add up one-and-one to make five, and that's not necessarily the case."
Is Utley willing to accept a trade?
"He's open," Amaro admitted, "but that doesn't necessarily mean anything is going to happen."
