Ad Disclosure
Phillies’ Top Scout Following Michael Young, Utley Says He Feels No Pain Taking BP
By Ryan Gillon
Published:
Apparently, Ruben may not be done kicking those tires…
…but don't hold your breath.
The news was broken by Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, as you can see below:
Reading this shouldn't exactly tell you that the Phillies are going after Michael Young. The biggest road block involving a potential acquisition of the disgruntled Rangers star is obviously money, as Young is about to enter the third year of a five-year, $80 million extension. The dude is expensive.
What it should tell you is that the injury to Chase Utley is potentially serious enough to entertain the thought of Young. Generally, it should tell you that the team is at least lightly considering some type of insurance policy outside their current roster if Utley remains on the shelf for an extended period of time.
Ryan Lawrence of the DelCo Times has another name in mind if Utley needs replacin'.
If the Phillies were searching for an upgrade on the outside, a better name might be University of Penn product Mark DeRosa. Capable of playing second base, third base and left field, DeRosa could be fighting for regular playing time in a crowded outfield in San Francisco and the Phils have had interest in him before.
DeRosa, who is owed $6 million this season, is a free agent after the season. But before you begin scouring the trade rumor mills for other trendy names, remember that it was Wilson Valdez, and not a flashier name, that ended up playing in place of Jimmy Rollins for most of 2010.
DeRosa is certainly more affordable, that's for sure. And with his contract up at the end of this season, he doesn't carry the extra baggage that Young does.
However, we should remember all in all that Chase is not dead. He did speak with reporters today and said that he feels no pain when taking batting practice. He was also asked about his return… there's a shocker.
Via David Hale of Philled In:
“I’m doing everything I can to try to get back on the field, but there is no timetable,” he said. “We’re not going to look for the short-term solution. I want to be smart about this and realize I have three years left on this contract to fulfill.”
Utley is here for a while, which is maybe another why the Phillies should go after a grizzled vet with an expiring contract. Lawrence may just be on to something.
Speaking of Lawrence, he took video of Utley today as he spoke. You can check that out after the jump.