Phillies Nation mourns the end of the Chase Utley era:

It’s an incredibly sad situation. Utley was on a Hall-of-Fame pace through the end of 2009, when he was averaging a .301/.388/.535 slash-line with 32 homers and 43 doubles in full seasons while playing elite defense (top-1 or top-2 in the sport) at a premium position.

Utley was the player that separated the Phillies from other teams.

This was before Roy Halladay, and for half of 2009, before Cliff Lee. It was after Cole Hamels’ stellar postseason run but before he turned into a four-pitch demon. Utley was what was different about the Phillies. A patient hitter who could hit the ball anywhere, for power and average, reach balls to his left and right that 25 second basemen can’t glove and run the bases exceptionally.

Now, he’s a shell of that.

I slightly disagree with the Hall of Fame argument. Utley got a late start, so his counting stats were never going to be that high. He would have needed to make the Hall based on an incredible career peak.

Otherwise, the author nails the future of Chase. The loss of cartilage in his knee means his days as a fielder are coming to an end. If he can’t field, he can’t play in the National League, so look for him to move to the AL at some point, even before his contract is up. (Unless,of course, a new stem cell therapy can grow back his cartilage.)