The New Left Fielder?

Thursday afternoon, Phillies beat reporter David Murphy tweeted that Chase Utley was working with Juan Pierre and John Mayberry Jr. in left field before the crooked number fest in Game 1 of the NLDS rematch between the Phillies and the Cardinals. You know what I say? Why the hell not? Left field has been a defensive adventure for the best part of the last decade in Phillies baseball. Both Raul Ibanez and Pat Burrell both played the same defensive style, catch the ones you can get to, even though you can’t get to most of them. Playing the outfield would definitely be a hell of lot easier on Utley’s knees than playing the infield also.

The Permanent Second Baseman?

When Utley got into a groove in 2011, he hit about .300 for two solid months before the wear and tear on his knees started affecting him. So if playing him in the outfield can put less strain on his knees, I say let him do it. Hell, Roy Oswalt can play left field, why can’t Chase Utley? It could possibly help shore up a questionable position and spot in the lineup while keeping Freddy Galvis’ glove AND bat, yes I said bat, in the lineup. After going thru what I’d like to call “an adjustment period” aka April where Freddy struggled mightily at the plate (.191/.225/.294), he has been one of the Phillies mainstays in May (.300/.325/.500) albeit hitting predominantly out of the eight hole.

Tags: Chase Utley, Freddy Galvis, Left Field