Chase Utley will likely stay with Phillies for remainder of season

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Philadelphia's 94WIP on Tuesday that it is “very likely” Chase Utley will not be traded this season. “As I told

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Philadelphia's 94WIP on Tuesday that it is “very likely” Chase Utley will not be traded this season.

“As I told you before, it is very likely he’ll be here in Philadelphia through the end of the year and then we’ll see what happens after that,” Amaro said.

Howard Eskin of 94WIP tweeted that he believed the meaning behind Amaro's statement was that Utley would not approve any trade. Utley has a full no-trade clause in his contract, so he has the power to veto any potential deal. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Utley is “less than anxious” to leave Philadelphia.

Amaro would not comment on the quality of the offers he has received for Utley or on whether Utley is being demanding in regards to his destination. Utley reportedly would prefer to join a contending West Coast team, putting him closer to his hometown of Pasadena, Calif.

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Utley, 36, signed a two-year contract extension in 2013 with vesting options for 2016-18. After 13 years with the organization, he had hoped to remain in Philly for the remainder of his career, but will likely become a free agent at the end of the year.

Since returning from an ankle injury, Utley has gone 13 for 26 in seven games with five doubles, five RBIs and a home run. Across the entire season, he is hitting just .213 with a .332 slugging percentage.

The Phillies are in last place in the NL East with an MLB-worst 46–72 record.

- Erin Flynn