At first glance, you would assume that the Phillies re-signed Chase Utley for two more years on the cheap.
Utley’s new two-year extension will pay him $27 million. The Star Ledger is reporting that if Utley stay healthy he can max out at five years, $75 million, according to major-league sources.
That number could jump to $30 million in two years if Utley does not land on the disabled list for more than 15 days with knee problems in the second year of the deal.
After those two years, Utley can make some cash if he can stay healthy enough to get some serious plate appearances.
Utley has the chance to trigger a $15 million dollar extension in 2016 if he has over 500 plate appearances. The same applies for the following two seasons, meaning Utley technically could earn himself an additional $45 million dollars by staying healthy.
How likely is that to happen? You’ll probably win the lottery first.
Utley has not had more than 500 plate appearances since 2009, and he’s only getting older.
