Utley clears August trade waivers

PHOENIX - The only thing that can block the Phillies from trading Chase Utley now is if the veteran second baseman invokes his no-trade rights.

Utley reportedly cleared revocable waivers Tuesday, meaning the Phillies, if given the player's permission, could trade him to any team this month. The six-time all-star has the ability to veto any trade because he has spent 10 years in the major leagues and at least five with the same team.

Utley has long maintained his desire to play for the Phillies as long as possible, but since spring training he has said he would listen to trade proposals from the front office out of respect for his longtime club. The Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels are contenders who could be in the market for Utley.

Given the roughly $4.5 million he is owed through the season, it was expected that Utley would clear revocable waivers. But it certainly does not appear a coincidence that Utley has started four of five games since returning from the disabled list.

Utley, 36, has played well since his return from a six-week absence. He came into Tuesday's game against Arizona with five hits, including three doubles, and three RBIs in 13 at-bats. He has run well on the base paths, showing no signs of the right ankle injury that plagued him earlier in the season.

Utley started Tuesday's game at second base and batted leadoff. Interim manager Pete Mackanin said the tentative plan is to give Utley off for the series finale Wednesday in Arizona ahead of Friday's series opener in Milwaukee.

As they did in the trades of Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Jonathan Papelbon and Marlon Byrd, the Phillies would likely need to subsidize part of Utley's contract to get better value in return.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told WIP-FM (94.1) on Tuesday that it is "very possible" Utley will finish the season with the Phillies.

"He's open [to a move], but that doesn't necessarily mean that anything's going to happen," Amaro said.

"I've had some brief discussions with him. A lot of it depends on several factors. As you can imagine, there would be some teams that might have some interest in him because he's a veteran guy who is clearly much more healthy now. And that was one of the biggest goals for him and for us was to get him healthy. Hopefully we'll go from there."

A compelling August for a franchise icon continues.

Jorge Alfaro (ankle), the top catching prospect acquired by the Phillies in the Hamels trade, probably won't play in games before the minor-league season ends next month, Amaro said. Alfaro, 22, is rehabbing at the team's facility in Clearwater, Fla. . . . Odubel Herrera entered Tuesday with a .290 batting average over 331 at-bats. Since 1950, the only Phillies rookies to finish a season hitting better than .290 were Dick Allen (.318 in 1964), Byrd (.303 in 2003) and Ed Bouchee (.293 in 1957). . . . Domonic Brown missed Tuesday's game with a stomach illness.

- Jake Kaplan