Phillies not ready to talk about a Chase Utley trade

Bad news for that "definitely trade Chase Utley" section of the Phillies fan base, as small and rat-like as they are. An "exec" told ESPN's Jayson Stark that the team has no interest in trading its handsomest second baseman.

"They're not going to trade Utley," said one exec, flatly. "That's not happening."

So, that settles that. As the baseball regulars know, an anonymous statement from some executive who maybe isn't even involved with baseball, in mid-June, is as good as a smart phone-pic of the chalkboard in the Phillies' war room the day before the trade deadline.

Utley may get the highest return of any player they'd deal, but apparently, the team shares the fans' somewhat unhealthy attachment to the guy, and while the city burns around them, will likely be holding onto him tightly, whether he's begging to be let go or not.

Besides, the team just started winning. Seven of nine? After losing eight of nine? They're one game away from completely neutralizing their bad patch! And what comes after that? Getting to .500, which in the NL East is the same thing as contending. Are the Phillies contenders? 20 or so more wins and some bad players becoming good players for no reason, and you betcha.

Look, what I'm sure the Phillies understand is that Chase Utley murals are very expensive, and it would be a grave disservice to any completely devoted, sane fans who have painted one on the side(s) of their house to trade away the player who inspired it/them, even if he isn't wearing a Phillies logo in the image, because he's I don't know, shirtless or whatever.