The Alberto "Collapso" Experiment Is Mercifully Over

Alberto Collaspo ("Collapso", as we called him) has been DFA'd, to make room for some Phillies guy who once was good:

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Saying "it's time," veteran second baseman Chase Utley prepared to leave Philadelphia, after the Phillies traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in exchange for two minor leaguers.

The Phillies also will send $4 million to Los Angeles to offset the $6 million remaining on Utley's $15 million salary. The Dodgers will send utility player Darnell Sweeney and right-handed pitcher John Richy to Philadelphia.

The Dodgers designated third baseman Alberto Callaspo for assignment to clear room on the roster for Utley.

The trade came a day after Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Utley was likely to stay in Philadelphia for the remainder of the season.

"Three weeks ago or so, I had a conversation with Ruben," Utley said during a news conference in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, according to MLB.com. "We put our heads together and decided it might be best for us to part ways. I gave them a list of a handful of teams that I would consider playing for, and then it was Ruben's job to find the best deal he could for the organization. And ultimately it came down to the Dodgers, a team I grew up watching."

Utley, batting .217 this season with a OPS+ of a career-low 71, joins a parade of washed-up Phillies who have joined the Dodgers, including Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Joe Blanton. None have worked out. Rumor has it Andrew Friedman is also targeting Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Greg Luzinski.