It’s the elephant in the room that Ruben Amaro, Jr. and the rest of the Phillies brass have pushed back as long as they possibly could. They have had more important things to take care of. The breathing room is almost up though as Jimmy Rollins’ contract is up at the end of the 2011 season.
The Philadelphia Phillies need to do the right thing and re-sign Rollins to a new deal and not let their longtime shortstop leave the only professional ball club he has ever known.
Rollins is a Philadelphia baseball stalwart and a vital part of the Phillies’ rise among Major League Baseball’s best. He has been with the club since 2000, which means he has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The Phillies should reward his loyalty.
Sure, Rollins’ production has dropped off a bit after his stellar 2007 NL MVP season and injuries have become more frequent. Though these things are true, Rollins is still an elite shortstop in the game. He plays an excellent defensive shortstop and can throw out almost anyone from deep in the hole with his hose of an arm. There are not many out there with that type of talent.
As mentioned above, his production at the plate has dipped since that incredible 2007 season where he backed up every single word he said before the season began. But outside of that season, he has never been a high average type of guy. In fact, he has only hit above .280 in three of his eleven seasons, which probably explains why he has taken grief for not being a prototypical leadoff hitter.
I don’t understand questioning Rollins and his abilities. Obviously, whatever he’s been doing throughout the course of his career has worked extremely well.
One of the things lost in all this hoopla over his contract is his age. Rollins will only be 33 years old when the 2012 season begins 
next spring. That is not old by any means. Could his absolute best years be behind him? Sure, but this isn’t a Derek Jeter type of situation where an almost 38-year old shortstop has noticeably lost a step.
Has Rollins noticeably lost a step over the best few years? I don’t think so. He still has plenty of high quality baseball left in him.
Are there really any better 2012 free agent shortstop options out there than Jimmy Rollins? Yes, I know Jose Reyes will likely be available but with the season he’s having, he will be asking for the world and more. I highly doubt the Phils will throw their hat in that race and offer Reyes an insane contract.
Take a look at the rest of the potential free agent shortstop list. Is there anyone else on that list besides Rollins that really intrigues you?
Alex Gonzalez of Atlanta? I’d rather have Rollins. Orlando Cabrera? Proven winner but I’ll go with Rollins. Edgar Renteria? Gimmie Rollins. That’s about it for the free agent crop outside of Rollins and Reyes. Keep in mind that Rollins, at age 33, is still younger than the potential options listed above.
Do the Phillies have any shortstops in their system that could replace J-Roll next season? To be quite frank about it, no. Double A shortstop Freddy Galvis is, by all accounts, the best SS in the system but he doesn’t seem quite ready for the show. Their AAA shortstops, Brian Bocock and Kevin Frandsen, are journeymen who have struggled during MLB appearances. Wilson Valdez and Michael Martinez are with the big league club but they seem more like role players than everyday players.
As you can see, there aren’t many better options out there than J-Roll. Rollins needs to be signed. Not for a very long term. Four years sounds about right to me.
Hey Ruben, do the right thing for your club and sign Jimmy Rollins to a new contract.
NOOOOOO!!!! He can just J Roll right out of town. He is not going to take a pay cut, & the Phillies have way too many more important things to do in this off-season, like rebuilding this old decrepit lineup, resigning Hamels, trading Joe Blanton, & deciding what their move at closer is gonna be. Whether it is resigning Madson (Boras is gonna want a mint, so no), or another closer like Heath Bell. No way would I bring him back. I would even look to trade Utley. I know that isn’t going to be popular, but he is eroding faster than the Jersey shore beaches. We need an overhaul in this lineup, to match up with this great starting staff.
I would offer him a 2 Year Deal for a $7-9 Million with incentives and an option for Year 3 which would bring his base Salary down from about the Current $8-9 MIllion range to about the 3-4 Million Range which Is fair to everyone.
He is the HEART and SOUL of the team. Ok if you dont sign Jimmy Rollins who plays SS? He has a .987 fielding %. Jimmy Rolllins is what 32? Hes you best positional player and probably when all is said and done your best hitter. Heres a little secret. Hes BETTER than Utley. You want to get rid of someone get rid of Utley. Hes better than that stiff Howard. Whos numbers have been a steady decline since 2006. 200 strikeouts a 250 avg and gonna end up with 30 hrs all for 25 mill a year.J-Roll is only 32 he has 4-5 years left. Have you seen any decline at ss? Who is gonna play ss? Valdez? Martinez? lol. Reyes is the only player that will do, lol
DDcar is saying blow up the phils? huh? what kind of logic is that.
JRoll makes the phils go- he isn’t prototypical we all know that- I say sign him for 5 years- he deserves it
Question of the day. Name me 1 postional player on the Phillies that is better than Rollins. All around defense and offense and the IT factor.
I believe that Jimmy is an ‘all-time’ phil–
@DDCar, if you deleted all references to names and left the spaces blank, someone would think your posts are about the worst team in baseball, wtf is wrong with you, read the win loss column, enough said
I dont think anyone can deny that Jimmy is clutch when it matters which is vital in the playoffs. He is the heart of this team and city and I think we need to keep him.
JAKE, this post is labled “should they resign Jimmy Rollins.” I gave my opinion. What did I say, that has anything to do with this year? I haven’t ripped the team in weeks, just Amaro. My opinion was about Rollins & what they’re going to have to do in the off season. They’re going to need a LF, SS (Rollins said no home discounts, so if he thinks he deserves & is getting a big contract, he’s delusional), possibly 3B (Polancos ??? bad back), RF (if they don’t make a move this year & Brown doesn’t improve), entire bench (all contracts are up. Valdez arb. eligible). That is half the starters & entire bench. That boys, is the definition of a overhaul, rebuild or whatever you want to call it. So what is the problem or debate with me? I’m not ripping them, or being negative. I speak in reality & facts. So if you want to live in La La land, go ahead.
they have some pieces to plug in LF being the most obvious but creating a hole at second and short the way you (DD) suggest seeks ludicrous-
Sign Jimmy and you still have a few years of your very succssful core of players
as for ripping amaro? damn the guy is a wizard – he gets Lee twice, Halladay, Oswalt- passes on Werthless-
all those trades of young players and look at how many minor leaguers have contributed to the Phils this year. Bastardo, Stutes, Brown, Worley
How is Amaro a wizard? The ownership gave him $170M to sign these players. WTF, did he do but give them their $$$. They signed here because we won in 2008 & they like it here. He didn’t do anything ground breaking or genius. If he didn’t f^@# up in the first place by trading Lee, we wouldn’t have had a need to waste a trade for damaged goods, in Oswalt last year. Every transaction he has made worsened the offensive lineup & has blown up in his face. Give me a f^@#ing break with the wizard $#!t. A f^@#ing crash test dummy could have done what he has done.
Depends on what Jimmy wants and how realistic he is. I am sure that the Org want him to stay here, but maybe his role needs to change. Can/will he do that?
And DD, be real, you want to get rid of J-Roll and Utley in the same year? That ain’t happening. One strong bat could infuse this lineup, so why change so much?
The guy that I would like them to move is Polanco. He is too limited now in what he can do in a power position. Think about the possibility of Aramis Ramirez at 3B. That to me is the answer to the offensive problems. Yes, he is a .300 hitter, but I want RBI out of that position. The lineup is also off with him and it usually ends up with Victorino batting 7th which is a waste of his speed.
I didn’t like what they got back for Lee, but I understood the trade. He might’ve walked and they would have gotten nothing for him. And the waste of a trade for Oswalt worked out pretty well last year when he was 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA. How is Happ pitching this year?
The problem that I have with your posts DD is that you point out all of his “mistakes” mostly without a context and as revisionist history. And you never seem to give him credit for the fact that the team has the best record in baseball even though they have had an amazing amount of injuries. He has to get some credit for that, because you say that anyone could do what he did, but I would disagree since a lot of teams have tried to buy a championship or just a good team and it hasn’t worked out.
i guess the rest of the teams have crash test dummies for GM’s- Not sure of the exact year of the transition between gillick and amaro- but saying bye to Rowan was unpopular w/the know it all fans that turned out pretty good- getting rid of Werthless seems pretty good. Getting Polonco didn’t worsen the team offensively.
Oswalt damaged goods …maybe but people here were high on happ and he blows.
you saying dump utley and not sign rollins shows the you my friend are the crash test dummy- just like to complain and blame those with important jobs.
Polanco has become unmovable similar to what Ibanez/Blanton/Oswalt/Lidge have . When you are highly paid veteran and on the downside of their career and you start having injuries, then no one is going to want you.. Whenever you sign a player for 3-4-5 Year Contract, it is very unlikley you will get big returns on those last years as players age,get hurt,losr focus,get comfortable or whatever..
Can someone please help me? Who is the best everyday player for the Philadelphia Phillies? Please support your answer. If your conclusion is Jimmy Rollins why would you move your best player?
Probably Carlos Ruiz is for who he handles the PItching Staff and calls game..He is probably the 1 irreplaceable player on this everyday Phils Line-up
Ruiz is a good choice- but when your team leads the majors in wins there are a lot of valuable pieces- Rollins and Howard are invaluable as well. I’ve heard some people on WIP — arm chair GM’s- who think howard should be moved. The guy has more go ahead RBI’s in the last 5 years than anyone in baseball- replacing 130 RBI’s isn’t easy— yes he strikes out but mark my words– The phils will be placed on his shoulders in Aug/sept when he hits a bunch of homers and drives in a bunch more runs. #20 who we all love had 100 RBI’s 7 times- howard (counting this year) is at 5 times.
To get back to the original post (sorry went off on a tangent) Jimmy is a must– maybe even if you sign him long term he finishes out at 3B????
oops counting this year 6 times!!!!!!
Ruiz? Newsflash. Halladay and Lee were studs way before Ruiz was around. lol. Somehow I think if McCaan or Posey were around we would still have a heck of a staff. I was expecting more out of Ruiz this year coming off his tremendous last year and a half. But he is a very good catcher.
He gets hot when it gets cool out..
SS is such a tough position to fill with quality…JROLL has been the heart of the team for so long…. he still has 3 yrs left.. give him 3yrs and that gives the Phils time to groom his replacement.
JROLL at his worst is better than 60% of the starting SS’s in MLB
Crash test dummy, enough said! I can be swayed though, if he rapes Wade for Pence. That rumor is blowing up 2day. If Amaro pulls it off, I will eat a gargantuan sized portion of crow. Until then, crash test dummy.. 😆
dd did you want to keep the .216 hitting werthless? Was he a CTD when he got Oswalt (who will be back) for J.A Hapless? Oswalt was great last year and when he comes back at the deadline he will be like adding another pitcher again! Was he a CTD when he signed Raul? I know he is the guy everyone loves to hate right now… but .275 w/90 rbis (going to get 90 this year too i believe) a year the last 2 years out of the 7 hole mostly was huge for the phils HUGE! It was a GREAT !
Haveacigar, bwahahaha!!! Amaro wouldn’t have even needed to make a trade for Oswalt, if he didn’t f^@# up by trading Lee in the 1st place. Ibanez was a waste of $$$. Stop it! I’m not beating the dead Amaro anymore. It just gives me a migraine & ulcer. I’m just going to route for my PHILS. But Amaro better make a significant move, to better this offense at the deadline. Then all bets are off!
must be tough going thru life as an idiot…. in your world 90 rbi’s from your 6 hitter is a waste. a couple more today for the record. you think every guy out there is a .330 hitter and they should be succesful everytime out. In ’82 hall of famer, my idol, #20 had 35 hr and 87 rbi, ’85 33 and 93–
09 ibanez 34 and 93– damn terrible signing… waste of money– hmmmm
Did you just compare, the greatest 3B in baseball history, & my idol, too, to Ibanez!?!? Are you f^@#ing insane? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
And i’m far from an idiot, dip$#!t. Let’s see how he does when he goes into another monthly slump. Cut it out already, your killing me.
The top three non-pitcher players on the Phils, in order.
1) Chase Utley — nuff said.
2) Jimmy Rollins
3) Ryan Howard
You never get rid of anyone in your core unless its clear that they have nothing left in the tank. Jimmy still has some left in the tank. When he’s hitting, we’re winning with ease. Give him 2-3 more years.
i compared his STATS to a couple of years to #20– i am not saying he is 20–i’m saying he was a good pickup by amaro the numbers were exactly the same for those two years.
oh you were probably one of those many phillie fans that booed schmidt– to be a revisionist historian!
I never booed Schmidt, ever. Had his Jersey, played 3B in high school & college. As a matter of fact, I don’t boo any of my own players, no matter how much I dislike them. I think it’s sad & embarrassing for someone to boo their own players. Unless the teams are really pathetic & not giving their all out effort.
So don’t presume to know me or what I do. If you don’t agree with my reality based opinions, that’s fine, but get your facts straight. Until Amaro does something of significance, on his own, I don’t want to here how great he is, that he’s a wizard, that he did this or that. He hasn’t did $#!t. He was given a World Series championship team, & $175M to spend. This teams offense should have been set up better & he did a pi$$ poor job of planning. Not to mention him not trading Blanton in the offseason when 3 teams were interested. Another brlliant Amaro decision, when everyone with a f^@#ing brain wanted him out of here. I can go on & on. But there is only so much I can say. The PHILS are in 1st..
I would offer J Ro a 2-3 year deal with a 3rd Year Option, but not at $8-$10 Million per year like he’s making now.. I would offer a base of $3-$4 Million with Incentives to increase ( Games played, Production #’s, Fielding % , Stolen Bases, etc,etc) which could bring his overall Salary up to $5 Million or so if he reaches these targets..
Rollins is still an elite SS. The Phillies have no elite SS in place to fill that hole. It’s pretty simple, if you want to continue winning keep the elite players you have.
Guys it’s really not rocket science.