Rollins signs deal with Phillies
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Rollins signs deal with Phillies
Daily News staff
Jimmy Rollins has signed a 3-year, $33 million contract with the Phillies, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.
Rollins, 33, the longest-tenured professional athlete in Philadelphia, has a vesting option for 2015 at $11 million. If it is not vested, the club option would be $8 million and the player option would be $5 million.
“Jimmy has been an integral part of this franchise’s recent success and is arguably the best shortstop in club history,” Amaro said in a statement. “He also stands to be one of the Phillies’ all-time greatest players. This contract ensures that he will be with us at a time when we hope to continue this recent run of division titles. Jimmy clearly gives us the best chance to bring a World Series title back to Philadelphia and we are looking forward to the next several years with him at his home at the shortstop position.”
Rollins has spent his entire professional career in the Phillies' organization. He was drafted in the second round of the 1996 draft. In 2011, he batted .268 with 16 home runs, 63 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 142 games.
“We took everything into consideration when you've been somewhere since you were 17,” Rollins said at a news conference this evening. “To go somewhere new, in my situation, the second part of my career, you feel like you're a rented player. You're not part of the process of building the team up. Here in Philadelphia, I've been here since I was 17. The first day I got here, in the big leagues, it was about making this team a contender and eventually a champion. Those things have been accomplished.”
He was the 2007 NL MVP award winner, a three-time All-Star and three-time Golden Glove winner. Over his 11-year career, Rollins has a .272 batting average with 170 home runs and 725 RBI in 1,636 games.
JRoll was the best option for the Phils out there, apparently RAJ can live with the $11 mil/yr. Now signing Hamels to a long term deal should be next. Plenty of reason to like this team in 2012!— Phillyfan among the NYers- When you consider the $$$ thrown at the likes of Adam Eaton, Jeoff Jenkins, Danys Baez, Joe Blanton, Freddy Garcia, Brad Lidge and others....what $11 mil/per for your all time leading SS who is still semi productive and earning his check? I don't have an issue with the $$$ or the years. I do have an issue with the approach. How does Amaro charge Charlie and the players with changing their approach if it's essentially the same set lineup?....leopards don't/can't/won't change their spots. Do you really expect a different result at the end of the year?— Mark1npt
- 3 years ok, but the money is too high. Phils bid against themselves and overpaid. It was said the market for him was 9 per year.— mikemaddog
- Explain to me the vesting option.— Young Tom
- It probably has something to do with the number of games he plays in a year, on average. If he is healthy and plays 140+ games, then the option kicks in, if not then the option will never get picked up. That is my take on it. — ESFjellin
- The starting pitchers deserve better than J-Pop, The Big Whiff, and this company of pseudo-hitters.— n62
- Mike, I think the extra 2 mil a year is pretty good, considering J-Roll's been underpaid for what he's meant to this organization for the past decade and anyone who's being fair will clearly see that he's still being underpaid.— katie_9918
- mikemaddog- and the Yankess do as well, if you want to stay competitive in baseball, sometimes you must overpay— jamarder
Comment removed.- Agree completely with Mark1npt. Same players, but something needs to be done to maximize their production. Batting Pence #5....to protect Howard is a MUST....and Rollins & Victorino need to do a better job of setting the table....consistently.— dri_as_a_bone
- Rollins is the leader of this team, the captain, they had to bring him back. Now the nucleus (Victorino, Ruiz, Utley, Howard, and Rollins) gets two or three more shots. They have been too great a team not to get to another WS, but getting there and winning it is tough. Especially with that stupid 5 game series to get past to start the playoffs.— reek3232
- Comment removed.
- This team isn't built around offense anymore, they have to hope the pitching staff can keep them in games, and by the looks of it they should be just fine. Starters should be as good as last year and the bullpen should be even better. After Pence and Hamels get locked up to long term deals, there should be a nice chunk of change left over to make a nice mid-season acquisition.— ESFjellin
- he was the best shortstop out there, unfortunately. he has to be a better leadoff man. remember whens get you nowhere. everyone got what they wanted. now let's go out and win another championship.— romanT
