According to Phil Rogers, baseball columnist for MLB.com, the Philadelphia Phillies will be scouting the Chicago Cubs tonight to see possible returns in a trade involving second baseman Chase Utley.
Chase Utley-to-Cubs talks seem to have legs. Phillies scouting Cubs tonight. Could package include Starlin Castro or Chris Coghlan?
— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) August 15, 2015
According to Rogers, either shortstop Starlin Castro or outfielder Chris Coghlan could be dealt to Philadelphia in exchange for the 2008 World Series Champion.
Castro, 25, was recently subjected to a decrease in playing time in favor of rookie Addison Russell. Because of this, Castro has since switched to starting at the second base position.
This season, the three-time All-Star is batting a career-low .242/.276/.3o9 with five home runs and 46 runs-batted-in. At 21 years of age in 2011, Castro led the National League in hits with 207.
Coghlan, 30, has hit a career-high 13 home runs this season over 110 games.
Drafted 36th overall in the 2006 amateur draft by the Florida Marlins, the 2009 National League Rookie of the Year has a .988 career fielding percentage, with just 13 errors over 565 games, 4,579 innings and 1,060 defensive chances.
Prior to Castro being named the new second baseman for the Cubs, Coghlan played six games at the position from August 7-13.
The Cubs have been trying to solidify their infield for their first significant playoff run since the 2008 season. Acquiring Utley would provide a veteran presence, with 46 games of postseason experience.
To have either Coghlan or Castro come to Philadelphia makes sense in two ways. First, it would eliminate a potentially crowded infield situation. Not to mention, it would in-turn grant more playing time to Utley, which has been one of his requirements in accepting any trade out of Philadelphia.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
