Options dwindling for Rollins, Phillies
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Options dwindling for Rollins, Phillies
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
If you thought Jimmy Rollins' re-signing with the Phillies was inevitable a couple of days ago, the recent signings of Alex Gonzalez and Rafael Furcal by the Brewers and the Cardinals make it a stone-cold lock.
If you believe the Phillies when they express a willingness to enter the season with Freddy Galvis and Wilson Valdez as their options at short stop, well, that makes one of us. There are still some fringe players out there, but none are any more impressive than Valdez and Galvis -- Ronny Cedeno, Yuniesky Betancourt, and so on. Feel free to slump over on your keyboard. The Phillies could certainly look to deal for a player like Eduardo Nunez or Jed Lowrie or Mike Aviles, but it is generally hard to acquire defensive utility players because they are almost always worth more to their own team than whatever another team is willing to give up.
As for Rollins, the list of potential suitors appears to be limited to the Phillies. The way I see it, these are the only teams who would even have the need for a guy like Rollins:
Tampa Bay - Sean Rodriguez/Reid Brignac
Kansas City - Alcides Escobar
Atlanta Braves - Tyler Pastornicky
Mets - Ruben Tejada
Nationals - Ian Desmond
Reds - Zack Cozart/Paul Janish
Astros - Angel Sanchez
Giants - Brandon Crawford/Jeff Keppinger/Ryan Theriot
The Rays aren't going to give Rollins the kind of contract he is looking for. The Mets are looking to shed payroll, not add it. You have to figure the Nationals are not yet ready to give up on Desmond. The Reds don't appear to have the money. The Giants have veteran options who can fill in if the highly-touted Crawford stumbles.
The Braves and the Royals are the only two teams that appear to pose even a semblance of a threat. The Royals don't always make the smartest personnel decisions, so who knows.
But in reality, it comes down to Rollins and the Phillies. Rafael Furcall just singed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Cardinals. That's a pretty significant chunk of change for a guy who has barely been on the field the last couple seasons.
To me, an at-market deal for Rollins would be 4 years, $36 million with a club option and reasonable buyout. There were some rumblings that Rollins could get $13 mil a year. To me, that's a huge overpay, just based on the market rate for short stops. Now that there does not appear to be much of a market for Rollins, you would think a four-year, $40 million deal would easily get it done. If Phils really don't want to go beyond three years, I think a 3 year, 30 million deal with a club option that has a big buyout and vests on certain incentives would make sense.
- amen. thanks for the memories, jimmy. take your pop-ups and lackadaisical attitude somewhere else.
— coloradoeagle - 2 yr 20 mil is the most i would go for this guy at this point. More than furcal, but if he has to be traded next year the phils could eat half the salary and be okay.— LGbalsac
- He does not bunt, take pitches or run out balls in play. No more than three years and let him know now he is a 7 or 8 hitter that needs to sacrifice when asked.— Earl J
- Moronic comment by @zwarte piet? Hardly! I'd say it was spot on. He obviously was being a bit glib about lining up all the reasons to motivate and possibly fine J-Stroll once he signs on, but all his points were legitimate concerns and were very well made!— advantasux
- I second @bearsfriend's idea that a one-year deal for J-Stroll is the best scenario for everyone, giving the team the flexibility and cost control it needs and giving him and his sure-to-be-sour attitude a goal to meet, making himself more marketable for next year.
Personally, I'd rather see him hit the road now but that is clearly not going to happen. I wonder how Mr. Ego is feeling right about now, with Furcal and Gonzalez and others seen as preferable options to him and his lofty opinion of himself. I'd like to think this might be a wake up call for him, that his expectations for a lengthy deal and national attention were nothing but a pipe dream, such that maybe he'll actually go all out next year for the Phils.
But I know better. Since he HAS to come back, go with @bears' idea for the one-year deal and bat him 7th. That's my final vote!— advantasux - If he did come back with a one year deal...it would DEFINITELY be a wake up call for him, and how his perception and how the "5 years" represented a highjacking for a 33 year old ss with a recent history of nagging lower body ailments...He'll see the other teams either went with less talented veteran shortstops on safer 1 or 2 year deals..or young prospects (cheaper) on the upswing...Maybe he'll work harder, and approach certain things better to maximize his god given ability. The Phillies really would bail him out with the 3 year deal, saving face for him...maybe he meets a friendlier market next year and doesn't overprice himself. — bearsfriend
- "Mr. PopUp" Rollins is delusional if he thinks he can get 4-5 years. 2 years $15MM with $2MM buy-out option for 3rd, otherwise please go away. When was the last time he ran the base or got his uniform dirty?
Phillies need a true lead off hitter who can work the count, get the looks and GET ON BASE.— 2:01TimeOut - A peek into the future news:
JRol-san signs lifetime contract with the Sayonara Crouching Crawlfish for 400 Billion Yen..He will be their clean-up hitter and part time Yoga instructor...
The Mini-Mart Line (.099) officially replaces the Mendoza Line in baseball vernacular...
— stan the man too 
Comment removed.- Whether Rollins comes back or not, it appears the Phils are content with that choking lineup. The lack of any real lineup change to the team that failed to show up in the NLDS means we have to expect a regression. Ruben should be on the hot seat for his lack of needed changes.— Repubrebirth
- You are absolutely right. Everyone else is trying to get better and the Phillies are looking like they are worse, whether or not Rollins signs. They lost Oswalt, Papelbon isn't an upgrade over Madson and is probably more expensive, and the only significant thing they did to address their anemic, aging line up was to let Ibanez go- which could turn out to be significant. Unless they come up with Fielder, I could easily see them missing out on the playoffs. No way they have 4 starters with career seasons next year like they had in 2011. — jtj06
- And you clowns call yourselves fans!? What a bunch of ungrateful losers. Take this man out of this lineup the past five years and you win nothing. But you'd rather vilify and make things up than with your idiotic radio talk show nonsense. Say something enough and I guess it become reality for you folks huh? Talk about what have you done for me lately. You'd be hard-pressed if you were new to this town to figure that all of this hate is being directed at the best shortstop ever to don a Phillies uniform. You people are delusiional and downright pathetic.— JLH
- A free agent Rollin's age looks for security, as well as money. There is no security in signing a one year deal for the money and entering free agency the next year. Catastrophic injury or below average performance makes it his gamble entirely. For that reason, a team would jump on a deal like that in a hot minute.— escapedcamden4monterey
- Idiots are out in force today...— Grazman
- I'm not playin' poker with RAJ. He let the market set itself, and Rollins was dealt a really bad hand. Furcal gets 2 years and $7 million per season. If I were RAJ, I would offer Jimmy Rollins a three year deal for $9 million per season (isn't that what he earned this year and the past few?). No other team will offer Jimmy Rollins this type of contract. If RAJ wants to help Jimmy save some face, make the contract include a team option for year 4 or a $1 million buy out. Otherwise, Aramis Ramirez and Freddy Galvis.— drhoffman
