In the first five full seasons of his career, Chase Utley was one of the best players in baseball. Though he was criminally underappreciated in MVP voting, the Phillies second baseman was second only to Albert Pujols in WAR over that span (2005 – 09). Utley did everything well; he hit for average and power, had excellent plate discipline, and was fantastic in the field and on the basepaths. After a dominant performance in a losing effort in the 2009 World Series, there was no reason to expect anything but more of the same.

Unfortunately, the following season, Utley began to experience knee issues that cut into his production. He remained valuable, still finishing in the top 20 in WAR among all position players over the next five seasons despite averaging less than 120 games per year. No longer a superstar, Utley persisted as a more than adequate fantasy option at a thin position.

In 2015, the wheels fell off. Utley got off to a horrendous start, hitting just .179/.257/.275 in the first half and missing a chunk of time with an ankle injury that he initially suffered in spring training. At age 36 and with just one season over 550 plate appearances since 2009, many wondered if the former star was toast.

While Utley performed much better after returning from the disabled list, he faces an uncertain future. By virtue of failing to reach the 500 plate appearances threshold, the 2016 option on his contract did not vest, becoming a team option which the Dodgers are expected to decline. Utley’s agent says he fully intends to play in 2016, and there should be a starting job for him somewhere on a one-year, incentive-laden deal.

A lot depends on where he lands, but Utley can still be a useful fantasy asset in many formats. Splits are often used incorrectly, but given that he was much better in the second half after his ankle healed, I’m inclined to trust them a bit more. Especially since there’s clear visual evidence that the bum ankle was affecting his swing mechanics. Utley hit .258/.328/.439 after the break, with four homers and 33 R+RBI in those 42 games. What’s more, once he got healthy, virtually all of his batted ball data and other peripherals resembled the numbers he'd posted in the previous five seasons:

The walk and whiff rates are a bit worse, but those came on the heels of 8.4 BB% and 12.9 K% marks in the first half, which are likewise consistent with his last several seasons.

Utley will never be the stone-cold stud he once was, and his age and injury history are certainly not encouraging. However, he’s only one year removed from a full, useful season (.270/.339/.407, 11 homers, 10 steals, and 152 R+RBI) and will likely come at a bargain price on draft day. Owners in need of middle infield depth should have him on their radar.

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