The Philadelphia Phillies have reached an agreement on two-year, $27 million contract extension with second baseman Chase Utley, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports that the deal includes multiple vesting options that would keep Utley with the team if he stays healthy beyond 2015.
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The Royals, Dodgers and Blue Jays had some level of interest in acquiring Utley in advance of the trade deadline, but the Phillies decided to hold onto him and the rest of their veterans instead of becoming deadline sellers.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said at the end of July that he wanted to make Utley a "Phillie for life", and Salisbury reported at that time that an extension was being discussed.
After appearing in only 310 games over the last three seasons, Utley has stayed healthy this season and has regained his status as a solid contributor for Philadelphia. In 83 games on the year, Utley has hit .275 with 15 HR and 42 RBI, and has only missed a month due to a strained oblique.
The former first round pick has been with the Phillies since 2003, and has been selected to the National League All-Star team five times. In eleven seasons, Utley has posted a .284 average with 214 HR and 781 RBI, and is currently in the final season of the seven-year, $85 million deal he signed before the 2007 season.
Utley is the second star second baseman to sign a contract extension in the last two months, joining Dustin Pedroia, who signed a seven-year, $100 million deal with the Red Sox in July. While Pedroia got the slightly higher average annual value at $14.2 million per year, Utley will receive $13.5 million each year under his new contract.
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