The first time I heard that Mr. Chase Utley was taking ground balls at 3rd base, I immediately just shook my head and assumed it was some stupid idea shared by a 97.5 The Fanatic caller. But recently I have logged in to my homepage, of course phillies.com, and I have seen this article: Utley Takes Some Grounders at Third. A lot of folks are saying "Utley is such a good player, he's willing to switch positions for his team's sake." This is all true. I have zero doubt in my mind that Chase would do anything for the better of the Phillies.
But, is this potential move better for the team? Not so sure. The current 3rd baseman, Kevin Frandsen, is boasting a .341 batting average. Yes, he lacks "pop" for a 3rd baseman. Now, the 3rd base Free Agent market isn't a particualarly a strong one. But, neither is the 2nd base free agent market. Market here. So it can be assumed that this potential move is NOT setting up a big middle infielder signing in the off season. Well then...what is the actual reason behind this "Chase Utley at 3rd base" rumor?
To me, it clearly states that Chase Utley's knees are shot. And Chase Utley knows that Chase Utley's knees are shot. Remember, he was the one to approach Ruben about the possibility of playing 3rd. If Amaro approached Chase first, it would be a different story. That would be a signal for a big middle infield transaction. However, the fact the Utley first thought of this possibility, really makes me believe that his knees really can't handle 2nd base anymore.
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