With Chase Utley officially back in action for the Phillies it may be time for the organization to make a big decision about the 30-year old star’s future.
Should the Phils move Chase to third base?
Baseball Prospectus raises this issue in an article for ESPN.com (you’ll need Insider to read it) but for convenience’s sake I’ll paraphrase their argument right here…
Third is an easier position on the body defensively than second and with Utley entering his 30′s (and coming off an injury) we may see his defense start to decline. Ultimately they conclude that this might be something that happens down the line, but not this season.
My question is: why not make the move now? Utley would be an instant offensive improvement over Pedro Feliz and at least comparable defensively. Even more importantly moving Chase to third would open up a spot for top prospect Jason Donald at second, which may not be a bad idea given the fact that Donald is clearly ready for his shot at the majors.
If it doesn’t work out then Chase can just be moved back to second and Feliz can start again at third, but why not take a shot and see if it works? It seems like a low-risk high-reward move that could not only give Donald a chance to prove himself but also add years to Utley’s career.
