Fantasy Baseball: Chase Utley Will Alter Fantasy Leagues

There have been a few trades go through after the non-waiver trading deadline, but one dropped on Thursday that could alter many a fantasy league. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the Chase Utley sweepstakes, and Utley was heating up before the Phillies dealt him.

Here is what the trade looks like:

The Phillies are also kicking in some cash to help cover Utley’s salary for this year and next year, and an extra $2 million to cover the club’s buyout option for 2016.

The key thing to take away from this is that Howie Kendrick will be out for at least another couple of weeks. That means Utley will have every opportunity to hit his way into the lineup. The Dodgers were using Enrique Hernandez at second, but now he will likely be used in the outfield with rookie Joc Pederson struggling.

The bad part is that Kendrick will return just in time for your fantasy playoffs. At which point, the playing time at second base could become muddy. Utley did say that he would not agree to waive his no-trade clause unless he went to a team where he could play the rest of the season. His playing time is assured for the next few weeks, but it could get dicey after that. However, I am guessing that the Dodgers assured him enough that he was willing to be dealt.

Utley had a dreadful start to the season, but has hit .441 since coming off of the disabled list. He is just 2 for 13 as a Dodger, but you can expect him to be productive in this lineup. The good news? He is available in 75% of ESPN leagues. I’m here to tell you that you should pick him up.

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I am guessing that at worst he becomes the bigger part of a platoon once Kendrick returns. That will be annoying in your fantasy playoffs, but you should know exactly when he will or will not play. That is a better case than not knowing.

Utley’s performance since his return shows that he is not done. He is a career .282 hitter with 233 home runs and 142 steals. He can definitely help your fantasy squad, even in standard leagues. Don’t wait until he heats up more to pounce if you have an open bench slot. Chances are someone will beat you to him.

The losers of this deal fantasy-wise are Hernandez, Pederson, and Kendrick. At the very least, Hernandez will give the Dodgers every excuse to “rest” the slumping Pederson. He will also afford the Dodgers ample opportunity to rest Utley if they need to. Kendrick goes from a starter to a platoon player at best when he returns. The Dodgers control Utley through next season, so Kendrick is likely gone when his contract expires at the end of the year.

The Dodgers strengthened their bench for a stretch run, but they threw a wrench in the season for fantasy purposes. Pederson is droppable in most non-keeper formats. Hernandez is still serviceable in deep leagues until Kendrick returns. Kendrick is worth hanging on to so long as he isn’t taking up a DL slot that would be better spent on someone else to see how it plays out in September. He is just going to be hard to count on.

Darnell Sweeney is regarded as the number 11 prospect in the Phillies system. He was hitting .271 with nine homers, 49 RBI, and was leading the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 32 at the time of the trade. The Phillies have shown that they are willing to roll with Sweeney in the majors for the rest of the year. He is not starting full time yet, but he does have a solo home run in three pinch hit appearances and walked three times in his only start. If the Phillies start getting him into the starting lineup, he is worth a look in deeper leagues, especially if you need speed.

John Richy just makes the Phillies prospect list at number 30. He was 10-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 18 starts at high-A Rancho Cucamonga. He doesn’t profile as a game changer, but he could be an asset for the Phillies at some point in the future.

Next: Will Chris Johnson Have An Impact With The Cardinals?

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