Inside the Phillies: Could Utley move to first?

The Phillies have an imperfect roster, which could lead to compromise for the 2015 season. But it is impossible to predict those decisions for various reasons. There is muddled leadership atop the organization; the team's convoluted public plan changes by the month; and the rest of baseball declared the Phillies' current assets either overvalued or inadequate.

A discussion at the micro level - like how the Phillies could best utilize some of the flawed pieces they possess - is incomplete without the macro strategy. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr., under contract for another year, could make decisions based on his immediate future. Or he could deem the process a two- or three-year rebuild and hope his prudence warrants an extension from ownership.

Much of what the Phillies could do this winter hinges on Ryan Howard. The Phillies would like to trade him. The realities of such a transaction are harsh.

The man who could benefit the most from that is Chase Utley. There are no guarantees that more time at first base would strengthen Utley, a player with chronic knee problems whose production has declined with a larger workload this season. Ask Ryne Sandberg, and he sees the potential advantage in a position switch for Utley.

"I think playing first base would eliminate a little wear and tear at that position," Sandberg said. "Whether that's a consideration or not has yet to be seen."

Translation: Sandberg is not allowed to speak ill of Howard, not since the manager benched the $125 million erstwhile slugger in late July and received backlash from the player and his front office.

Utley's downfall this summer is remarkable. He finished May with a .320 batting average and a .517 slugging percentage. He had 29 extra-base hits in his first 50 games (226 plate appearances) and 18 extra-base hits in his next 89 games (376 plate appearances) after June 1.

His .352 slugging percentage since June 1 ranked 203d among 254 qualified batters entering this weekend. (Howard's .348 slugging percentage in that same time period ranked 207th.) Sandberg spoke last week about finding more opportunities to rest Utley.

"This year he showed up to spring training very strong looking, very fit, and it's the grind of the season [where] he loses some of that strength," Sandberg said. "It's really hard to maintain that."

One 2015 hypothetical: The Phillies plan 130 games for Utley. A majority of them, say 100, are at first base. They could attack three positions - first base, second base, and left field - with a group of players. Platoons are not ideal; they are for teams with players not equipped to handle everyday rigors.

Second base could be a mix of Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez, Cody Asche, and Utley. Left field, presuming the Phillies are successful in their goal of trading Domonic Brown, could be manned by Darin Ruf and Asche. These are temporary solutions to problems that are not immediately fixable. That is what a rebuilding team does.

The 1993 Phillies were known for their platoons - shortstop and both corner outfield positions - but that is a convenient comparison. It was a temporary solution for a blessed team that crumbled soon after winning the National League pennant.

In this instance, it would allow the Phillies more time to develop better solutions while learning more about the current (read: inexpensive) options. Neither Galvis nor Hernandez have had a prolonged chance to prove their worth as an everyday player. Maybe one of them would emerge in this hypothetical situation. Asche will need to find a new position after Maikel Franco seizes the full-time job at third base. Ruf has proved, at the very least, he can fill a platoon role.

The upshot of this idea is preserving Utley, who showed during the season's first two months there still is life in that bat. On Sunday, Utley will guarantee a $5 million increase to his 2015 salary by spending 15 days or less on the disabled list with a knee injury in 2014. (Not that the Phillies were going to disable him in September even if he did suffer the injury.) So he will earn $15 million in 2015.

The team has committed $130.5 million in 2015 salary to nine players. That does not include A.J. Burnett, whose player option will be worth $12.75 million once he makes his next start Tuesday in San Diego. Burnett could retire. Antonio Bastardo, Ben Revere, and Brown are eligible for arbitration.

There is not significant money coming off the books. Kyle Kendrick and his $7.68 million will be elsewhere. Mike Adams made $7 million in 2014 and could retire. Free agency is a difficult place to find long-term solutions. And how much, exactly, does ownership want to sink into a team with a .470 winning percentage since the start of the 2012 season?

@MattGelb