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For the first time in his career, Chase Utley will be wearing a new uniform, as the Philadelphia Phillies’ star second baseman has agreed to a trade that will send him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

MLB Roster Moves made the deal official.

USA Today noted that the Dodgers “will also receive $2 million to help offset the remainder of the $15 million Utley is paid this season.”

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported that Sweeney will take Utley’s roster spot with the Phillies. The Dodgers also announced a corresponding move by designating infielder Alberto Callaspo for assignment.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman had a note on Sweeney’s possible value for Philadelphia:

sweeney, who goes to phillies, is fine offensive player w/position issue (2B/CF). scout: “he will play in the big leagues”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 20, 2015

The Phillies are 47-73 in 2015, continuing the downward trend of the franchise over the last several years. 

General manager Ruben Amaro has already taken steps to add long-term assets for Philadelphia, dealing Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers and Jonathan Papelbon to the Washington Nationals leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. 

Last summer, when there was a chance that Philadelphia could go into sell mode, the then-35-year-old Utley told Zolecki that his ability to veto any trade made it difficult to see a deal going through if the team decided to start blowing its roster up. 

“Well, you’re creating situations that aren’t necessarily going to happen,” Utley said. “I guess we’d have to see at that point, but I don’t plan on going anywhere. … Last year, re-signing here was something I really wanted to do. Great organization. Nothing has changed since then. I mean, honestly, I haven’t thought about it.”

Utley’s no-trade clause became a focal point again after he cleared waivers, making him eligible to be dealt to any team before Aug. 31, as ESPN’s Buster Olney noted:

Playing-time assurances for Utley at this point in his career would seem hard to come by, as he’s no longer the star who was a top-10 MVP candidate three times from 2006-09. 

Things have fallen apart for Utley and the Phillies in 2015. The 36-year-old is hitting a paltry .217/.284/.333 in 73 games. His fall has been stunning considering that he posted a .270/.339/.407 slash line in 2014 and was worth 4.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement. 

Amaro ran into trouble earlier this season when he said that Cesar Hernandez was the Phillies’ best second baseman, per CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. That seemed to be the latest signal Utley was on his way out of town, though the only question was if anyone would take his contract. 

Utley’s deal is structured with three separate vesting options for 2016-18 that kick in if he reaches 500 plate appearances the previous season. It will take a lot of playing time down the stretch for him to reach that mark in 2015, so he could turn into a rental. 

The Phillies finished last in the National League East in 2014 and own a roster of aging, expensive players that prevents them from committing to a rebuild that has been on the horizon for years. They are going to finish last again this season, though with more young assets to build around.

For the Dodgers, Utley will serve as a veteran presence whom they can’t expect to do much given how bad he’s been this season. However, with starting second baseman Howie Kendrick on the shelf for a few more weeks, the Dodgers will hope that Utley can provide some sort of spark on both sides of the ball.

A change of scenery and leaving a volatile situation may rejuvenate him, as he’s just one year removed from being a very effective second baseman.    

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The New York Yankees have had trouble finding consistency at second base all season.

There have been small sparks of offensive production and defensive flair from both Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan here and there, but overall, second base has been the biggest flaw in New York’s starting lineup this year.

While an infield upgrade would be nice for the Yankees, bringing in Chase Utley in 2015 is not the answer.

It’s been quite the whirlwind month for the Yankees. These games are finally beginning to really matter.

The Bombers woke up on July 29 with a seven-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. By Wednesday, Aug. 12, they were a half-game back.

That lead has since been rectified after the Yankees beat the Jays 4-3 on Friday night in what could only be described as a playoff-atmosphere game being played in August.

The 11-game winning streak that Toronto put together since signing David Price and Troy Tulowitzki led to some fans wondering why the Yankees remained mostly dormant during the trade deadline. New York’s only acquisition was reeling in Dustin Ackley, who played in just two games before landing on the disabled list.

With glaring holes in the starting rotation and trouble finding consistency at second base, it was a little surprising to some that the Yankees remained quiet. However, there’s still a little time to bring in a player or two.

General manager Brian Cashman helped out the pitching situation by calling up Luis Severino from Triple-A and stating that the 21-year-old has no innings limit to Ryan Hatch of NJ.com. Severino has had two solid starts so far in the big leagues against the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, in which he gave up one and two earned runs, respectively.

However, second base still remains a problem.

Stephen Drew belted a home run and scored a career-high four times in an 8-6 win against Cleveland on Thursday, but is still batting just .195 with a .263 OBP in 97 games this season.

He does have 15 home runs, which is more than the likes of Evan Longoria, Matt Kemp and the last superstar to play second base in New York, Robinson Cano. However, production has been lacking in between each home run.

Brendan Ryan hasn’t fared much better, batting .237 in his last 12 games.

So, by name alone, you would think Chase Utley would be a great pickup to help bring some life back to New York’s middle infield. And you wouldn’t be wrong—if it were seven years ago.

When the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series in 2008, Utley hit .292 that season with 104 RBI. He didn’t slow down the following year, belting more than 30 home runs for the third time in four seasons and leading Philly back to the Fall Classic.

Oh, he had five home runs in that World Series defeat against the Yankees, though Utley is just 6-for-24 at Yankee Stadium during the regular season.

If New York were going to get that Utley, there would be no question to try to bring him in. Of course, that Utley most likely would be staying in Philadelphia.

Instead, the current Utley is a shell of his former self, hitting just .196 in 70 games before Friday. He had more home runs in that ’09 World Series than he does now and is looking at career lows in just about every category since his rookie season.

Utley is and will forever be a beloved player in Philadelphia. His number will be retired and a street will probably be named after him. However, the Yankees have had their fair share of nostalgia while dealing with players from the past several years—they need production now.

Because of Utley’s past, the Phillies might try to bring in a big-name prospect in return for him, but New York has stood firm when it comes to its younger players.

Philly could certainly try to improve its case for a decent return after Utley went 4-for-5 on Friday night to push his average over .200. He now has 11 hits in 22 at-bats since returning from the disabled list last Friday. Funny how that can happen when a player is on the trading block.

Before being traded, Utley has the final say of which team he can be dealt to because of his 10-5 no-trade rights, which come after playing 10 years in the big leagues and five straight years with the same club.

The 36-year-old has also made it clear that he only wants to play for teams who will guarantee him playing time, as ESPN’s Buster Olney noted:

But as far as playing time is concerned, Cashman made it clear that he’s all-in on Drew at second base. Since he would remain on the team, there would be no place for Utley, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch:

Because of that, the Yankees’ best option appears to be in riding things out, much as they did during the trade deadline. Once the roster expands in September, New York can call back second base prospect Rob Refsnyder, who’s batting .275 in Triple-A.

As for Utley, the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants seem to be the top three suitors. According to the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Bruce Jenkins, the Giants have even made an offer:

But according to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, Utley has narrowed his choices down to two:

It can be argued that Utley was one of the best second basemen of his generation. Now, the argument is if he has anything left in the tank to help out a ball club. For the Yankees, the answer is no.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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MLB‘s non-waiver trade deadline came and went on July 31 with plenty of action across the league, but teams are far from done when it comes to attempting to improve for the playoff push.

Organizations are still able to strike deals for the remainder of the season, but the deadline for a traded player being able to take part in the playoffs is Aug. 31. Any player traded between now and the remainder of the 2015 campaign must first pass through waivers.

That complicates things to some degree, but veterans with big contracts can often be had under such circumstances since most teams aren’t necessarily willing to commit significant amounts of money.

As teams contemplate making a last-ditch effort in their drive toward the postseason, here is a look at the latest trade rumors surrounding Major League Baseball.

Chase Utley

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is arguably one of the greatest players ever at his position and a borderline Hall of Famer. Although he has certainly declined in recent years, he is a definite candidate to move via a waiver trade.

According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have all shown some level of interest in acquiring the 36-year-old veteran.

While Utley is a Philly sports icon, he can become a free agent at the end of the 2015 season, which gives the Phils plenty of incentive to make a trade.

Matt Lombardo of NJ.com sees no reason why Philadelphia shouldn’t ship him out of town regardless of what type of return it can get:

Both the Cubs and Dodgers could use a veteran player of Utley’s ilk, but ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick sees the Yanks as the best fit:

Utley would have a chance to start in the Bronx since the combination of Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan leaves plenty to be desired. Although Utley is having an awful year with a .179 batting average, four home runs and 25 RBI, he has been hampered by an ankle injury that he is just now returning from.

He is a six-time All-Star who enjoyed solid production just one year ago when he hit .270 with 11 homers and 78 RBI. He is also a left-handed hitter with three seasons of 30 home runs to his credit, which makes Yankee Stadium the perfect ballpark for him.

He has played in 46 postseason games, gone to the World Series twice and won a championship. He is the type of competitor every contending team would love to have in some capacity, and he’ll be an asset regardless of where he lands.

Justin Upton

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the non-waiver trade deadline related to deals that weren’t made was the San Diego Padres. Despite having several players who would have been attractive to contending teams, San Diego decided to stand pat.

That included outfielder Justin Upton, who can walk this offseason with only a compensatory first-round pick coming back in return. One can only assume the Padres received interest in the 27-year-old All-Star, and according to baseball journalist Peter Gammons, they did.

The New York Mets reportedly offered the Padres pitching prospect Michael Fullmer in exchange for Upton, but they declined, which resulted in Fullmer being sent to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes instead.

After opting against making any big moves ahead of the deadline, Padres general manager A.J. Preller explained his line of thinking, per Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press (h/t the San Jose Mercury News):

We’ve got a lot of players that are attractive to clubs and we were working through all different scenarios to add to the club and other scenarios. Teams were asking about our guys, but ultimately we didn’t feel like we got to the value that we needed to get to. If we got to those values I think we probably would have made other trades, but I think the fact that the team has played better, that made it a little easier to kind of stay pat and add a guy and go from there.

Upton is hitting just .248 this season, but with 18 home runs and 57 RBI, he is the type of run producer who could make a big difference in the middle of a contender’s lineup.

The Padres still have an opportunity to make a deal involving Upton; however, it could be difficult with the waiver element since multiple teams figure to have interest in him.

San Diego seems at peace with losing Upton for a first-round pick, but his name will continue to be worth watching until Aug. 31 comes and goes.

Kyle Lohse

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Lohse entered the 2015 season having strung together four solid campaigns in a row, but he has struggled mightily this year.

The 36-year-old veteran is 5-13 with a bloated 6.31 ERA for the Brew Crew, which prompted Milwaukee to move him to the bullpen. He was also placed on waivers in hopes of a team claiming him, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Assuming nobody does, Lohse seems to believe the Brewers will attempt to trade him, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy:

Lohse signed with the Brewers after posting a career-best season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 that saw him go 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA. He followed that up with a 3.35 ERA and 3.54 ERA in 2013 and 2014, respectively, but he has suddenly fallen off the proverbial cliff after proving himself to be a strong, middle-of-the-rotation starter.

It is possible that Lohse has reached the end of the line at 36 years of age, but it is important to remember he had a 6.55 ERA in 2010 before bouncing back to have four excellent seasons in a row.

Since Lohse will be a free agent after this season, a team won’t have to make a sizable or long-term financial commitment to him if it decides to strike a deal.

Even so, considering how poorly Lohse has been pitching this year, it is tough to imagine an organization making a move to acquire him.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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The days leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline are consistently some of the most exciting Major League Baseball has to offer, and this year did not disappoint.

However, just because the non-waiver period has passed does not mean we can’t get our trade fix. August is the revocable waiver period, meaning teams have until the end of the month to try to pass a player through all 29 teams, which would make him eligible to be traded anywhere. If a player is claimed, his team can call him back, making him ineligible to be traded. The player can also be traded or outright released to the claiming club, which usually means that team takes on an undesirable contract the original team is trying to shed. 

Teams will place several players on waivers, and every year we learn of big-name players being placed on the wire, typically only to be called back to the original club as if nothing ever happened. Those headlines are a given every year.

Just because the excitement is lessened and the rumors are fewer this month does not mean significant happenings won’t go down. The biggest August blockbuster trade happened three years ago when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto from the Boston Red Sox, who desperately wanted to dump salary.

Here are some predictions on what this year might hold:

Begin Slideshow

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is officially in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean that big leaguers like James Shields are off the market just yet.

Between now and the end of the month, a player can be traded to any team if he clears waivers. If the given major leaguer does get claimed, he can be traded to the club that put in the claim.

Usually, a player has to have a flaw to make it through waivers. For Shields, that flaw is that he’s pitching on an outsized contract.

In the list of trade ideas that follows, there are several other players who are in a similar situation as the veteran starter. They are guys who won’t be cheap but who have the talent to help a contender that wasn’t able to check off all the bullet points on its trade-season to-do list before August arrived.

Plus, there’s also room on the list for one former star whose season has so far been wrecked by an injury but who could be returning to the diamond soon.

Begin Slideshow

1. A Manager Is Just Another Chew Toy for Pit Bull Loria

Everyone knows managers are hired to be fired. But in Miami, they’re not just fired; they’re sliced, diced, pureed, pulsed, chopped, whipped, crushed, frappe’d and blended too.

So here comes new Marlins manager Dan Jennings, one of the game’s most respected talent evaluators, in Miami’s craziest move yet.

This actually is a demotion for Jennings, who comes downstairs from the executive office, where he was vice president and general manager. Not since Jack McKeon—sound familiar, Marlins fans?—with the San Diego Padres from 1988 to 1990 has someone served as both manager and general manager in the majors. (Yes, that is a bit of sarcasm. Demotion, yes, but Jennings will retain his VP title, and the Marlins say he will have the same input in the construction of the team.)

Jennings is a lifetime talent evaluator who is credited with signing and developing, among others, Josh Hamilton, James Shields, Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli during his seven-plus seasons as Tampa Bay’s director of scouting before leaving for the Marlins.

And as he himself said during Monday morning’s press conference, “It is out of the box. I will not deny that.”

You think?   

Here is just one of the 3,000 reasons this organization is laughable and you can’t believe anything it says: Club president David Samson and president of baseball operations Michael Hill spoke at length Monday about how the Marlins needed “a new voice.”

So the “new voice” is a guy from the front office who has had a hand in building/maintaining this team all along?

This is not a new voice.

This is an old tale.

Owner Jeffrey Loria is George Steinbrenner on training wheels, blowing through managers like Kleenex.

Since 2010, the Marlins have employed seven: Fredi Gonzalez, Edwin Rodriguez, Brandon Hyde (0-1 as interim in 2011), Jack McKeon, Ozzie Guillen, Mike Redmond and now Jennings.

Loria is paying three managers this summer alone: Guillen, who is in the final year of the four-year, $10 million deal he signed to manage the Marlins before the 2012 season, Redmond and Jennings.

Try as he might with moon shot after moon shot, slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a ball completely out of Dodger Stadium and pounded the three longest homers in the majors last week, cannot outdistance this circus. Since this managerial Wheel of Misfortune started in earnest in 2010, Stanton has played for an average of 1.17 managers per season.

Jennings is immensely popular throughout the industry, an old-time baseball man, a good guy, good sense of humor, beloved by many.

But you already know how this story is going to end: with stains on Jennings and, if he’s not careful, knives from Loria and Samson in his back. And the fact that nobody from the Marlins even bothered to thank Redmond at Monday’s press conference for his effort and for some of the good things he’s done…it’s just reprehensible.

“I will tell you even my mom, whom I love, asked me, ‘Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?'” Jennings joked.

Sadly, Ma Jennings, maybe you don’t want to know the answer.

2. All-Underachieving Team

It’s mid-May. These guys have to turn it around soon…don’t they?

First base: Albert Pujols, Angels. Not only does he have a relatively pedestrian six homers and 14 RBIs, but he also entered the week hitting .231 with a .283 on-base percentage and a .403 slugging percentage, which ranked 20th among qualifying MLB first basemen. For the bargain price of $24 million this year.

Second base: Chase Utley, Phillies. Though Philadelphia is starting to play a little better, Utley is slogging along at .138/.214/.241. Glory days—they’ll pass you by in the wink of a young girl’s eye.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins, Dodgers. Utley’s former double-play partner did go 4-for-5 against the Rockies on Friday and by this week had boosted his slash line all the way up to .196/.277/.348. Though the Dodgers own the second-best record in the National League, fans nevertheless are beginning to wonder when phenom Corey Seager, 21, will be ready (he’s hitting .281/.324/.344 at Triple-A Oklahoma City). Oh, and one other thing about Rollins: “It’s mesmerizing how many plays he takes off at shortstop,” one scout says.

Third base: Josh Harrison, Pirates. Harrison was an All-Star last summer who finished ninth in NL MVP voting. He was awarded with a four-year, $27.3 million deal last month that could be worth $50 million if all of the options are exercised. The emergence of Harrison caused the Pirates to bump Pedro Alvarez over to first base, but Harrison’s encore so far is not helping raise too many Jolly Rogers.

Catcher: Chris Iannetta, Angels. One of the majors’ finest offenses from a year ago is a late starter this summer. Iannetta is hitting .123/.217/.137.

Left field: Melky Cabrera, White Sox. The Sox had a very good week and look like they are making their move. It will become much easier for them once Cabrera, slugging a career-worst .296, heats up.

Center field: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates. How rough has it been for Cutch? Not that his painfully slow offensive start is driving him batty, but he’s admitted to talking to his bat while trying to get going. Easiest prediction of the year: When the season’s over, Cutch will be hitting far above his current .233/.331/.383.

Right field: Carlos Beltran, Yankees. It’s clear the Yankees signed him a year too late, but that .271 on-base percentage really stands out. Beltran’s career OBP: .355.

Designated hitter: Victor Martinez, Tigers. I’m grading on a curve here, as Martinez missed most of spring training following knee surgery. So he started behind, and he’s going to catch up. But through his first 33 games, one homer and .224/.317/.280 is a rough start.

Starting Pitcher: Taijuan Walker, Mariners. So many people were on Seattle’s bandwagon this spring (yes, my hand is raised as well), and part of that is because the pitching was in place behind King Felix Hernandez. But Walker (1-4, 7.22 ERA) has been a colossal dud so far. “I saw him this spring and thought he would win the Cy Young Award,” one scout says. Ugh.

Closer: Steve Cishek, Marlins. There are many reasons this team is off to a disappointing start and Redmond is an ex-manager. Cishek’s blowing four of his first seven save opportunities is a very large one.

3. Where It Turned Around for the Nationals

The Nationals have become the club we all thought they would be, ripping off 15 wins in their past 19 games heading into this week. And if Matt Williams’ team is playing deep into October this autumn, circle April 28 and 29 on your calendar as the dates it all turned around.

Yes, part of their slow start was because Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Anthony Rendon all opened the season on the disabled list (Rendon is still out). But that slow start ended for good not only when Washington stormed back from a 9-1 deficit against the Atlanta Braves to win 13-12 on April 28 but also when the Nats closed that series by winning 13-4 the next day.

“That game in Atlanta, I never said after any regular-season game, ‘This game means a lot,'” ace Max Scherzer told B/R over the weekend. “But when we had that great comeback and then won again the next day, that’s what got it going. Those two games. You can’t take one.

“That was one of the best regular-season wins I’ve ever been a part of. It was a cloud-nine moment, and I didn’t even play.”

4. The Long and Short of It

Talk to nearly anyone in the game, and the answer is just about unanimous: Nationals’ right-hander Tanner Roark is the best “sixth man” going (meaning the next starter up after a five-man rotation). He would be a part of any rotation in the game, except where he is—in Washington.

The Nationals know how good they have it too. Pitching coach Steve McCatty was still teasing Roark the other day about his numbers from Arizona last Wednesday: The tall right-hander worked 1.2 innings in relief, threw 49 pitches, surrendered three hits, walked two…and didn’t allow a run.

“I’ve never seen that before,” McCatty says.

Just the latest example of Roark the Magician.

5. You Want Out of the Box? This Is Out of the Box

So Cubs manager Joe Maddon canceled batting practice before Friday’s day game following Thursday night’s 6-5 win over the Mets.

Result? The Cubs outslugged the Pirates 11-10 in 12 innings.

Of course.

“I think it’s the most overrated thing we do,” Maddon said of batting practice before the game at Wrigley Field. “On a daily basis, we swing the bat way too often. I don’t know what the genesis of that was. If I had to nail it down, the ’80s—the early ’80s—when hitting coaches became more prominent and all this teaching became more prominent, batting practice became a longer exercise.

“And extra batting practice and hitting off tees and hitting in cages and swinging and swinging and swinging, and I think it can be counterproductive. I think guys can hit themselves right through feel. You can be feeling really well, and my point is if you do it too often, you get to the point where you lose that feel.”

6. Error: Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich

Regarding the ongoing (and endless) debate over whether the Colorado Rockies are going to trade Troy Tulowitzki or should trade Tulowitzki (the answer is yes, by the way), Bridich is taking the old blame-the-messenger route.

“Most of the media likes to create news,” he told reporters, via the Los Angeles Times.

He also told MLB Network Radio’s Jim Bowden it was media speculation.

Timeout here, because that’s a load of bunk.

This all started last week when Tulowitzki’s agent, Paul Cohen, told the New York Post on the record that he planned to meet with Tulo to discuss whether to ask for a trade.

“To say that is not a possibility would be silly,” Cohen said.

That is not media speculation.

That is an agent and a superstar steaming down the tracks together like a locomotive. And even though Tulowitzki backed off later in the week, this story isn’t going away.

7. Weekly Power Rankings

1. Bryce Harper: If he stays off the disabled list, you are looking at the NL MVP.

2. Mad Men: I’d like to buy the world a Coke…but only after Harper’s next at-bat is finished!

3. Giancarlo Stanton: Ka-BOOM! 

4. Adrian Beltre and Miguel Cabrera: Messrs. 400. Welcome to the club. Now…is Beltre a Hall of Famer?

5. B.B. King: Farewell to a legend. And it is so awesome that back in the day, Will “The Thrill” Clark greeted callers with an answering machine message featuring King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” Perfect then; touching now.

8. Shelby Miller Joins the So-Close Club

One out away from a no-hitter Sunday against the Marlins, all Atlanta’s right-hander got was some dugout high-fives, some “attaboys” and a place on this list:

9. Please Don’t Shout ‘Fire!’ in a Crowded Stadium

Did you see that the smokestack in Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark caught fire during a game last week against the San Francisco Giants? And they played on without a delay.

9a. Rock ‘n’ Roll Lyric of the Week

One reason I will take the Rolling Stones over the Beatles (no offense, love the Beatles too) is because the Stones soaked themselves in the blues early on. And B.B. King always said he got on his knees and thanked them because that is one reason King and others remained popular—because legends like the Stones paid homage. Sleep well, Mr. King.

“Well, there’s one kind of favor I’ll ask of you
There’s just one kind of favor I’ll ask of you
You can see that my grave is kept clean
And there’s two white horses following me
And there’s two white horses following me
I got two white horses following me
Waiting on my burying ground”

— B.B. King, “See That My Grave is Kept Clean”

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball.

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Merely one month into the MLB season and teams are already beginning to separate themselves in the division as races start to shape up.

Although the 2015 MLB All-Star break is still more than two months out, the teams quickly descending to the bottom of the standings are beginning to figure out whether to buy or to sell before the game.

One team primed to be a seller this summer are the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that has gotten off to an 8-15 start and currently sits fifth in the NL East.

Injuries have piled up for the Phillies, which has led the pitching to fall to the bottom third of the league in most statistical categories. In addition, the team suffers from a lack of offensive production.

With the New York Mets leading the NL East and a three-way battle brewing in for second place, the Phillies are in a position to trade away their top assets. 

Just 23 games into the 2015 season, the Phillies have mustered only eight wins and are struggling to keep pace with the NL East front-running Mets. The Mets own a 15-8 record and have been dominant at Citi Field. 

Both the Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals remain in contention, too. The Nationals have won three in a row, while the Marlins have ripped off two straight. Meanwhile, the Phillies continue to dig themselves into a deeper hole with three consecutive losses.

Currently, five pitchers sit on the Phillies disabled list. Among them are Cliff Lee and Chad Billingsley, who were expected to be pivotal parts of the starting rotation.

Billingsley is on the 15-day DL and could be activated as early as next weekend for the showdown against the Mets, according to the Philly.com.

Lee, on the other hand, is on the 60-day DL. He’s currently deciding between rehab for a left forearm strain or surgery, which would end his 2015 season. In March, Lee told Philly.com that he was leaning toward giving rehab a third chance.

With both Lee and Billingsley sidelined, the Phillies have had to rely on the likes of Jerome Williams (3.80 ERA), David Buchanan (8.76 ERA) and Severino Gonzalez (23.63 ERA). Along with Cole Hamels (3.19 ERA) and Aaron Harang (2.51 ERA), the Phillies rank 21st in MLB in team pitching, behind three rival NL East clubs.

Offensively, the Phillies have endured even more struggles. The lineup has been short of Domonic Brown all season long, while their usual sluggers, such as Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, have struggled with been inconsistent. 

Utley has batted .114 in 21 games played, and his counterpart Howard is at .194 in 20 games. As a team, the Phillies rank 29th in the league in offense with a team batting average of .223. Additionally, the Phillies rank 26th in home runs (13), 29th in on-base percentage (.280) and 30th in runs scored (63).

As the Phillies continue to sputter, they find themselves with no other options other than to start dealing. Among the chips that could be angled include none other than Hamels. 

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro has received a bevy of phone calls about the availability of the team’s longtime ace, and according to USA TODAY, the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers have all expressed some level of interest.

Per the report, the Phillies would only send Hamels in exchange for a player they could turn into their centerpiece in the future. 

The Cardinals are without their ace, Adam Wainwright, who was lost for the season with a torn Achilles. Brandon McCarthy, the Dodgers’ prized free-agent signee, is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery. The Blue Jays need to find a suitable replacement for Marcus Stroman, and the Red Sox rank dead last in MLB with a 5.04 team ERA.

If the Phillies intend on being sellers, they also can try to shed closer Jonathan Papelbon and his $13 million salary to any buyers. 

Papelbon owns a 1.08 ERA and five saves in eight appearances out of the Philadelphia pen, but the team has little need for a stopper as it continues to plummet in the standings. To shed his salary would be ideal for Philadelphia, and the Blue Jays—who also reportedly have interest in Hamels—also have been in the mix for Papelbon, per CSNPhilly.com.

However, Toronto dropped out of those talks as the season progressed, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.

there are no discussions ongoing with the jays regarding papelbon, by the way

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) March 29, 2015

In addition to those two pitchers, the Phillies may consider dealing Utley. Although the veteran second baseman is not putting up All-Star statistics so far this season, he is an impending free agent.

The team would be wise to try to get something in exchange for Utley, instead of simply allowing him to walk for free.

Utley previously made it clear to the organization that he did not want to leave Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, but that position may have changed with the team’s current standing.

But there is some curiosity about whether this will change, in the face of the Phillies’ dim prospects now or in the immediate future. Jimmy Rollins chose to leave, accepting a trade to the Dodgers, and rival evaluators believe Cole Hamels wants out, as well.

Utley is a California native that attended UCLA. Naturally, both Los Angeles teams—the Dodgers and the Angels—make season for that reason. Dodgers second baseman Howie Kendrick is batting .295 this year with 14 RBI. Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella is batting .317 with 10 RBI. 

All signs point to the Phillies making some moves before the 2015 MLB All-Star break. They’ve been rumored to do so for months, and all signs point to it finally coming to fruition.

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Nearly five years ago, the character Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia wrote a “love” letter to his favorite Phillies player, Chase Utley, asking if the two could “have a catch.” He made sure to compliment Utley’s hair and ask about the second baseman’s relationship with his father while he was at it.

Now, given that Utley is really busy playing a lot of baseball for the Phillies, Mac has only just now gotten his response.

Utley shows his appreciation for Mac’s enthusiasm and even throws in some stickers of the two of them in his letter. And although Utley says he doesn’t have time for a game of catch with Mac, he does finish by stating that fans like him make his life a “grand slam.”

You can watch the original show’s clip here (some NSFW language):

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The trade deadline is less than two weeks away and there is no doubt that several high-profile players will be changing teams before it passes. Players like Matt Garza, Cliff Lee and Chase Utley could all be dealt soon and may end up having huge impacts on playoff races.

Even the teams in first place coming out of the All-Star break know they have holes to fill, and now that there are two Wild Card spots, more teams feel they can make a run, and you can bet that the players on this list will be pursued heavily.

The following players are ranked according to the impact they can have if traded.

Present and past statistics, as well as present ability, are the best ways to judge the impact a player might have if traded.

It is also important to note how a player’s current environment factors into their statistics. A power hitter who plays in a big park might not have great numbers, but could do a lot for a contending team that plays in a hitters’ park.

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It is about that time of the Major League Baseball season.

Despite having played only a little over a third of their season, the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders. And with that separation comes speculation of whether certain teams will be buyers or sellers come the MLB trade deadline at the end of July.

One team that faces a particularly tough decision this year is the Philadelphia Phillies.

Currently sitting seven-and-a-half games back of the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves and seven games back of the second wild-card spot, the Phils are slowly starting to see their season get out of hand.

Now, this is not to say that the Phillies are totally out of the playoff hunt. After all, it is only the beginning of June. And of course, it was less than six years ago when the “Fightins” erased a seven-game deficit with 17 games remaining to snatch the division crown from the New York Mets.

However, this is a completely different team than what we saw back in that memorable fall of 2007. Gone are the days of seeing a healthy Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins take the field on a daily basis. The core of this team is six years older, and while they may still have some gas left in the tank, it is safe to say that the best years of their careers are behind them.

Before I go on, I must say that it is simply too early to say that Philadelphia will definitely be sellers come the July 31 trade deadline. Only the next six weeks will tell us whether the Phillies will look to start building for the future or add big-name talent in hopes of a last-gasp playoff run. 

However, the obvious must be stated: The Phillies are a team on the decline. Howard, Utley and Rollins are all on the wrong side of 30 years old. None of the three can be guaranteed to stay healthy or contribute regularly. Formerly the core of this franchise, the heart and soul of Philadelphia’s beloved baseball team, these three can no longer be counted on to lead the Phillies to the playoffs and beyond.

Even the starting pitching, which was said to be the bright spot on this Phillies roster, can no longer be trusted. Roy Halladay cannot seem to stay healthy, Cole Hamels is having one of the worst years of his career and the back end of this rotation simply does not have the experience to take over the reigns just yet.

Despite positive performances this season by Cliff Lee, Kyle Kendrick and Jonathan Pettibone, the Phillies are simply not getting consistent outings from their starting rotation.

All in all, the outlook is not bright for Philadelphia.

So, what does this mean for the team’s trade deadline plans?

Although Philadelphia may not have the best chance to make the playoffs this season, this does not silence the fact that this team still has plenty of talent on its roster.

Namely, Cliff Lee, who has been having an outstanding season compiling a 7-2 record with a 2.45 Earned Runs Average, may in fact be one of the players that Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. decides to deal by the July 31 deadline. 

At age 34 and set to earn $75 million over the next three seasons, the time is winding down for Lee to win a championship in Philadelphia. Amaro Jr. may well decide that if Lee’s age and money is too much for him to stay in the City of Brotherly Love, then it could be his time to go. Apparently, even Lee is preparing himself to be in another deadline trade.

However, Lee is not the only one who could find himself out of Philadelphia before the end of the summer. Chase Utley, the beloved second baseman for the Phillies, may be playing in another uniform later this season.

At 34, Utley is in the final year of a seven-year, $85 million contract and is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. While Utley has been cursed with injuries throughout his career, he is still producing at a level that may interest teams who are looking to be contenders later this season.

With seven home runs and 25 RBI to go along with a .272 BA so far this season, Utley may be the missing piece for some teams who are looking for depth come the postseason. Moreover, Amaro Jr. may feel that he might not be able to re-sign Utley to the terms he may be looking for in the offseason. This might force Amaro Jr. to try and get some value for Utley while he still can.

However, the single biggest reason why the Phillies will turn out to be sellers come this year’s MLB trade deadline is their farm system. Or, shall I say, lack thereof.

According to Baseball America, the Phillies have the seventh-worst farm system in all of the major leagues. While fans love to see the big-name players such as Lee, Utley and Howard play at Citizens Bank Park on a regular basis, most would probably agree that it is time to restock the farm. 

It is clear that the Phillies’ window of opportunity is closing quickly. After a run of success from 2007-2011, Philadelphia’s record has tailed off significantly over the past year-and-a-half. One way to regain this success may well be to start from scratch and build for the future.

Becoming sellers at the trade deadline and dealing the likes of Lee, Utley and Rollins may be the best way to do so. 

Only time will tell whether or not the Phillies become buyers or sellers in late-July. If, six weeks from now, the Phillies were to be right in the midst of the playoff hunt, then you can put money on this team staying together. 

However, as the age and the health of this roster is undoubtedly on the decline, the chances of this happening certainly seem bleak. While it is unlikely that the entire core of the Phillies roster will be traded, it is safe to expect that certain ballplayers will find themselves cleaning their lockers at Citizens Bank Park come later this summer.    

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