Report: Mets inquired about Rollins

PHOENIX - A week ago, Ruben Amaro Jr. answered the phone inside his office at Citizens Bank Park and spoke candidly about his team's need to rebuild and the mindset a general manager has to have during that process.

"We're keeping our thoughts and eyes open and not leaving anything off the table," Amaro said at the time. "We'll talk about any player. There are no untouchables."

So when a report surfaced yesterday, a week after Amaro's comments, that the New York Mets phoned their National League rivals and asked about trading for Jimmy Rollins, it wasn't too surprising.

The Mets, with a promising, young rotation and Monday's surprising addition of Michael Cuddyer to the middle of their lineup, have entered a win-now mode in the National League East, a division they can surely compete in in 2015. They've had a revolving door at shortstop since Jose Reyes left as a free agent 3 years ago, and are seeking a reliable upgrade.

Yesterday afternoon, ESPN New York reported that the Mets called the Phillies about Rollins, but that the conversation didn't last long since Rollins has repeatedly said he has no intention of leaving Philadelphia.

Rollins, like Chase Utley, has a full no-trade clause as a player with at least 10 years of big-league service time and the last 5 with the same team. Despite the Phillies' downward path in the standings in the last three seasons, both players have said countless times that they want to stay with the only major league team they've ever played for.

"I'll be here next year," Rollins, who captured the franchise's all-time hits record last summer, said during the last week of the regular season.

But in the 7 weeks since Rollins made that comment, echoing the sentiment he's made anytime he's been asked about staying in Philadelphia, the front office has publicly said it's going full bore into a rebuilding mode. Would that change Rollins' (or Utley's) stance?

Amaro has spoken with both of his veteran middle infielders about the state of the franchise.

"They're aware of what we're trying to do," Amaro said. "I mean, obviously, I'm sure they'd like to be in positions to be winning. But we've had situations before where Pat [Gillick] came out pretty publicly about us rebuilding or not being contenders and, it's a funny game, it's an interesting game, you never know what can transpire when you're going through these processes. I think they're open-minded with where things are in this organization. We'll find out more over the next several months."

Amaro was referring to Gillick's comments as the general manager in July 2006, after trading away Bobby Abreu and others before the trade deadline. A year later, the Phillies were in the postseason; the next year, they won the World Series.

Both Rollins and Utley, however, turn 36 this winter. And Rollins' current contract expires after the 2015 season; Utley has three vesting options in his deal after this season, which kick in with at least 500 plate appearances each year.

When asked about other teams' inquiring about Rollins and Utley this winter, Amaro kind of waved it off as a lot of talk. He has high expectations that both will be in Phillies uniforms in 2015.

But as a rebuilding GM, Amaro is listening, too. In addition to the Mets, the Yankees, Dodgers and Athletics, among others, are seeking middle infield help.

"If it's going to make us a better organization in the long run," he said, "we have to be open-minded."

Former first-round pick Jesse Biddle has elbow soreness and will have a precautionary MRI in Philadelphia.

"We don't think it's anything serious," Amaro said, "but we're being super-cautious on him."

Biddle had been pitching in the Puerto Rican League this month in an effort to catch up on innings missed in 2014.

Biddle pitched in only 19 games (94 1/3 innings) this season, mostly at Double A. Biddle was sidelined for 6 weeks during the summer for a "mental break," which was determined after the pitcher couldn't overcome struggles in the first half of the season. Three weeks after returning, Biddle was shut down for the remainder of the season with a quadriceps injury.

Amaro was asked whether Biddle, the 23-year-old Germatown Friends product selected in the first round of the 2010 draft, had overcome his crisis of confidence issues from the summer.

"I think it's an ongoing battle," Amaro said. "I think he'll continue to work through it. I think he has made a lot of strides, and that's a positive. It's unfortunate that we had to send him back to Philly to get his elbow checked out, because we want to get him as many innings as possible."

Darin Ruf, playing winter ball in the Dominican League earlier this month, was sent home last week after struggling to get his bat going. Amaro said Ruf was hit by a pitch in the triceps earlier in the Dominican season. "He was not able to play for a while, and I think they decided you know what, we're going to get another player," Amaro said. "That's what happens" . . . Amaro said Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, who joined the major league bullpen in September, will work out as a starter in the spring. Gonzalez, 28, is entering the second year of a 3-year, $12 million deal he signed after defecting from Cuba. "We have a deficiency in starting pitching, so we're going to try to create as much depth as we can," Amaro said. "Hopefully, he can do that." Gonzalez, who battled shoulder problems last spring, had a 6.75 ERA in three starts at Class A Clearwater before being moved to the bullpen, where he had a 2.76 ERA in 34 appearances with Clearwater, Double A Reading and Triple A Lehigh Valley . . . David Montgomery, who has been on medical leave for 2 1/2 months, is expected to speak at a luncheon on Friday when the Phillies and the Philadelphia chapter of the ALS Association honor their 30-year partnership, which has helped raise over $15.2 million. Pat Gillick, who has been the acting team president in Montgomery's absence, is in Phoenix with the Phillies' front office contingent this week.

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