The MLB trade deadline for waiver deals has Chase Utley and James Shields as potential targets and Utley could be an option for the LA Angels, NY Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants if the Philadelphia Phillies pull a deal after Utley was placed on waivers and made it through. Shields was also placed on waivers by the Padres.
Utley has come back from an injury and with the Phillies rebuilding, he is a prime trade target. Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports reports that Utley was placed on waivers and now that he has cleared, he can be traded to any team. Utley has the right to veto trades due to his 10-and-5 rights and that means he will be able to decide where he ends up. Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reported last week that the Giants, Cubs, Angels and Astros along with the Yankees have been "keeping tabs" on Utley.
The Angels reportedly almost completed a deal for Utley last week, while CSN reports the Astros are also interested. The Cubs are considering a move, while the Giants may pull a deal if they have Joe Panik out for a bit. The team reportedly made an offer for Utley, per MLB.com. James Shields is also an option to get moved, as he was placed on waivers by the Padres this summer after the deadline. The Padres made the most dramatic moves of anyone this offseason, acquiring Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton in a flurry of trade deals, but they have not been able to get things together. The Yankees and Giants could be interested in Shields.
Check here for more on Chase Utley interest and on Shields at the waiver deadline.
Cole Hamels had been mentioned in trade rumors quite a bit just like Utley has been and he was eventually traded to the Rangers. Teams like the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, LA Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Yankees all were considered options, but the team went for a deal with the Rangers since it had the best prospects in it.
Hamels was coming off of another solid season and with the Phillies rebuilding, it was almost certain that Hamels would be traded. Last season Hamels went 9-9 but he had over 200 innings pitched, 198 strikeouts and a 2.46 ERA for a bad team and now he has moved to a contender. Before the Red Sox had a bad season they were considered a solid option for the deal, but that did not come close to happening after they were reported favorites. The moves for Justin Masterson, Wade Miley and Rick Porcello did not work out as expected for the Red Sox and they are in last place in their division.
The Phillies already made a major move at the non-waiver deadline, trading Cole Hamels to the Rangers for a stable of prospects and now the team expects to contend with Hamels for a few years. Hamels had been putting up strong numbers and then he hit a rough patch in the middle of the summer. Hamels fixed that though, as he threw a no hitter against the Cubs before getting traded.
