Second baseman Chase Utley is going to have hip surgery next week, which could put him out until May or June. Uh-oh. Third baseman Pedro Feliz is also going to be out (but only for 8-12 weeks from now), but won’t be as big of a hit as Utley.
Who’s going to replace Utley? Good question. My favorite option is farmhand Jason Donald. He’s currently focusing on third base in the Arizona Fall League, but a transition to second should be easier for him, compared to a move to third (from shortstop, of course). Another in-house option would be Tadahito Iguchi, providing he doesn’t bolt for free agency.
A current list of free agent second basemen can be found here. Some interesting names include: David Eckstein (played with the Jays and Diamondbacks last year), Ray Durham (who played with the Brewers), Type A Orlando Hudson (Diamondbacks), Marcus Giles (who last played for the Padres in 2007) and former Phillie pharmhand Nick Punto (Twins, primarily as a third baseman, though).
Sunday November 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 AM
I like the Iguchi option because he’s a known, proven commodity. The Phils didn’t skip a beat when Utley went DL in Aug. 2007.
Sunday November 23rd, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Yeah, I agree. Iguchi is a solid, veteran option, but the big thing is that he doesn’t have the power to replace Utley in that great lineup. If Burrell leaves, and Utley is out until June (worst case scenario), the Phillies are going to be hurting for power. Donald definitely has the advantage over Iguchi there.