Philadelphia Phillies Re-Sign Jimmy Rollins: Cole Hamels Extension Next?

According to a multitude of reporters, the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms with shortstop Jimmy Rollins on a three-year, $33 million contract with a vesting option for a fourth year worth the same. Rollins, the team’s longest-tenured member, seemingly waned from his previous demands of a five-year deal or a four-year contract with a fifth-year player option.

That’s great for the team, considering that Rollins doesn’t have five years left in the tank.

With Rollins back, this spells a few things. First and foremost, Freddy Galvis will not start for the Phillies anytime soon. He’ll be stuck in Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the next three or four years, yet he’ll still be only 24 years old should Rollins’ new contract stand for four years and call for Galvis to start following its conclusion.

Then again, the Phillies could also use Galvis as a trade chip in any sort of deal should one be necessary next July or even sometime in the next few years. His defense is superb and his offense is gradually improving, and should it climb even higher next season, he’ll be a hot commodity.

Whether Dontrelle Willis’ signing with the team was a courtship to bring Rollins back to the City of Brotherly Love is a question for another time, but it sure helps nevertheless. However, the biggest question remaining in the minds of Phillies fans is this: will the team extend Cole Hamels next?

Until Vance Worley worked himself into the Phillies rotation, Hamels was the team’s last homegrown player in the starting rotation as well as the rotation’s youngest member, which consisted of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Hamels, and Joe Blanton on Opening Day of last season.

All of those pitchers were acquired via trades or free agent signings except Hamels, and all were at least 30 years old except Hamels.

Now that Hamels is one of the premier starting southpaws in the game, it begs the question: what will it take for the team to keep him beyond next season?

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. stated in an interview with NBC HardBallTalk’s Craig Calcaterra at last week’s Winter Meetings that the team would like to keep Hamels a lifelong Phillie, but that re-signing Rollins was his priority. Now that that’s come to pass, how much will Hamels extension talks heat up?

Hamels’ career numbers have been compared to those of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ace Jered Weaver, who signed a five-year, $85 million extension with his team late last season. But with Hamels being a lefty, his value automatically increases. and the fact that he’s an ace drives it up even further.

It’s been said that Hamels should command an extension comparable to Weaver’s, but with Hamels being one of the best starters in the 2013 free agent class alongside Matt Cain and Zack Greinke, he could command even more, possibly becoming a $20 million-a-year player.

There’s little doubt that Hamels will attain at least five years from the Phillies in an extension, but the price he’ll come at if extended is vague. Will he take a hometown discount and sign for an extension around the price of Weaver’s, or will he demand a contract worth an amount similar to one he’d make in free agency?

If the Phillies sign Hamels to an extension with an average annual value worth over $20 million, they would be the first team in major league history to have three starting pitchers on their roster making over $20 million a season. Will they offer that kind of contract to their organizational gem, or will they let the season play out first?

If I were Ruben Amaro, Jr., I’d lock him up now. He’s vastly improved since his 2009 fall and will continue to do so should he stay on his current track. If he does even better next year, imagine the money he’ll command in free agency next year. If the team wants to remain young and competitive beyond next year, they need to lock Hollywood Hamels up before it’s too late.

Here’s hoping Amaro knows what he’s doing.

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Philadelphia Phillies to Sign Dontrelle Willis: Are They Going for a New Look?

According to espn.com’s Jerry Crasnick, the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms on a one-year, $1 million deal with pitcher Dontrelle Willis. The deal also contains incentives for performance bonuses.

The 30-year-old Willis, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds last year, went 1-6 with a 5.00 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP and fanned just 57 batters in 13 starts consisting of 75.2 IP, his highest total since 2007, when he pitched for the Detroit Tigers.

Having struggled since his trade from the then-Florida Marlins along with Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers, Willis has bounced back a bit, though he is nowhere close to putting up numbers comparable to those of his NL Rookie of the Year season in 2003.

This is an interesting move, as the Phillies currently don’t have a vacant spot in their starting rotation.

Headed by Roy “Doc” Halladay, the rotation is rounded out by Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Vance Worley and either Joe Blanton or Kyle Kendrick.

Had the Phillies non-tendered Kendrick by last night’s midnight non-tender deadline, this deal could make more sense, but unless a separate trade is in the works involving Worley, Blanton or Kendrick, or if Willis is pitching in the bullpen, there is little sense made in signing the D-Train.

If Willis is going to be used in the bullpen, it could spell the demotion of Justin De Fratus or Michael Schwimer back to the minors for now. Then again, this deal could have been the reason why Ben Francisco was shipped off to Toronto.

 

While all of the above could be tangible reasons for signing Willis, my thinking is that the Phillies could be attempting to go as small-market as the can in an effort to rekindle their 2008 success.

They’ve made small signings and trades that have seen the likes of Laynce Nix, Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome come to Philadelphia. While all three are valuable bench pieces and will strengthen the backup corps significantly, they aren’t necessarily difference-making players.

In 2008, the Phillies won the World Series with a starting rotation led by Cole Hamels and followed by Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton and Adam Eaton (ugh).

Their offensive roster consisted of many of the same players today, but players like Pedro Feliz and (at the time) Carlos Ruiz were far from impacting the team.

Their bullpen was led by a closer by the name of Brad Lidge, who had a remarkable 41-for-41 save season, but the rest of the bullpen behind Ryan Madson as the set-up man was nothing special.

Since Ruben Amaro, Jr. took over as Phillies GM after the 2008 season, the team has made higher-profile moves. 

He began by signing outfielder Raul Ibanez to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, but his desire quickly rose, and at the trade deadline that year, they acquired Cliff Lee for prospects.

Then, in the 2009 offseason, they traded Lee and acquired Roy Halladay, and received Roy Oswalt at the 2010 trade deadline. They then re-signed Lee after the 2010 season and acquired Hunter Pence at the 2011 deadline.

I could see Amaro shipping off one of Blanton or Kendrick for a prospect or two, or Worley in a blockbuster deal along with Domonic Brown for an All-Star-caliber player, like David Wright or maybe even Hanley Ramirez if Rollins negotiations somehow don’t work out. But the way I see things, Amaro’s trying to go small-ball like in 2008 and win a championship with a balanced team led by a few significant All-Stars, but the remainder being inexpensive yet clutch players. Maybe I’m crazy (likely the right answer), but who knows.

How do you see this deal turning out? Is it smart or stupid? Are the Phillies indeed trying to emulate their 2008 success? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

UPDATE: Willis will indeed pitch out of the bullpen, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Matt Gelb.

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10 Most Estranged Players in Phillies History

Throughout the history of the Philadelphia Phillies, a handful of players have enshrined themselves both in the Phillies’ team record books and fans’ hearts. Then again, there are also those who have done the exact opposite and completely made it known that they hold a hatred for the Phillies in their hearts, which has resulted in a mutual hatred towards them by the fans.

Whether about a refusal to sign, a request to be traded, or simply a bad performance, there have been some Phillies over the years who—they themselves or the fans—wish to have no previous association with the team. Granted, this existed more when the team was terrible, especially in between the team’s World Series championships, but there have been other cases of players who have made it known that they want out during the team’s success. We’re going to take a look at all cases.

Here we go.

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Philadelphia Phillies: How Much Does Albert Pujols Signing Affect Jimmy Rollins?

The signing of Albert Pujols has come to pass. Yesterday, Pujols signed an incredible 10-year, $254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The contract, which includes a full no-trade clause throughout its duration, is also possibly rumored to be worth $280 million or so with incentives.

One of the best hitters in baseball history and arguably the best right-handed hitter of all time, Pujols has left his team of 11 years, the St. Louis Cardinals, to sign with the Angels. The biggest surprise really isn’t the team he signed with, but rather the amount he earned and the inclusion of the no-trade clause.

Pujols’ previous offers seemed to hover around the $200-220 million range, until yesterday when the Angels made themselves known and signed The Machine. In addition, the Angels signed the best starting pitcher available on the free-agent market, C.J. Wilson, to a five-year, $77.5 million deal yesterday, spending $331.5 million on two players in one day.

The signings of the two, along with the $3 million deal of reliever LaTroy Hawkins, brings the Angels’ offseason spending amount to $334.5 million, the third-highest amount of money spent in an offseason by a team all-time, and the highest by a team not named the New York Yankees.

Despite higher offers from the Miami Marlins, who have already signed Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle to contracts totaling $191 million, both Pujols and Wilson decided to sign with teams who offered a no-trade clause in Pujols’ case, and was closer to home for Wilson.

With the signings of these two players, the Angels are being hailed as the team to beat in the AL and are also considered early World Series favorites by some. With a starting rotation that consists of aces Jered Weaver and Dan Haren, along with Wilson and Ervin Santana, the Angels’ pitching staff and their newly-boosted offense should prove to be among the best in the majors next season should everything go according to plan.

So…you’re probably wondering where Jimmy Rollins fits into all this. You’re thinking that the above information has nothing to do with Rollins or the Phillies, and you’re also thinking that there’s no point in reading further. Or maybe you’re not thinking any of that. I won’t put words in your mouth, but Rollins is more significant than ever now that Pujols signed.

But you might be wondering why Pujols and Rollins have any sort of connection. The answer is two words: Dan Lozano. Lozano is the agent for both Pujols and Rollins, and now that Pujols has signed, Rollins is his best client left who has not yet signed.

Although there have been indications that the Phillies and Rollins were close to reaching an agreement, the two sides have yet to do so, meaning that Rollins is still fair game for any team who chooses to offer him a contract. However, the Milwaukee Brewers, who were thought to be the Phillies’ biggest opponent in signing Rollins, have signed shortstop Alex Gonzalez to fill their need on the left side of the diamond. Even though the Brewers are still in on third baseman Aramis Ramirez, their shortstop hole has been filled and they are out of the running for Rollins.

This would theoretically leave the Phillies as the only remaining team in the Rollins sweepstakes. Yet there is one more team who could enter the mix: the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals, who have a huge mound of money sitting around with Pujols not returning, can still afford to sign a different star player. Whether the Cards decide to do the Prince Fielder route or go after Rollins, the point is that the Cardinals have money they can spend money on a high-profile free agent if they so choose.

Due to the fact that the Cardinals also have an impending free-agent shortstop in Rafael Furcal, they could either aim to re-sign Furcal or pursue Rollins. The Cardinals have dealt quite a bit with Lozano in the past with Pujols, and as a complimentary gesture, he could arrange a Rollins-to-St. Louis deal if the years and price are right.

Either way, the Cardinals could prove to be stiff competition against the Phillies for Rollins’ services. Even if they decide not to pursue him, they could drive his price and demands up at the hands of Lozano. While it wouldn’t be the most moral thing to do, shadier dealings have occurred in the past.

As of right now, the Phillies are still the favorites to land Rollins. But if the Cardinals decide that their need for a shortstop is important enough, then they could go after J-Roll, whether as a ploy against the Phillies or in a sincere attempt to sign him. Now that Rollins is one of the top three remaining free agents, talks should heat up between him and potential suitors within the next few days, and the answers to when and where he’ll sign a contract could become known very soon.

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10 Philadelphia Phillies Doomed to Regress in 2012

With the Winter Meetings set to conclude today following the Rule 5 Draft, baseball fans are seeing more and more of what their teams’ rosters will look like for next season. Many teams have or will soon fill the remaining holes in their rosters, looking to bolster their offense, defense, pitching or more.

The Philadelphia Phillies, whose current primary target is Jimmy Rollins, will have most of their holes filled for next season on paper once either he or another shortstop signs with the team.

I emphasize—on paper.

As with every other team in baseball, unexpected things will happen to some of the Phillies players throughout spring training and the season that will take a toll on the team. Some players get hurt, others don’t hit or pitch as well as they once did, while others may lose the skills they had with the glove.

Regardless of why, it’s inevitable that some players regress each season. Being one of the oldest teams in baseball, the Phillies understand this well. Many of their MVP and All-Star-caliber players three years ago have since become mediocre. Players like Chase Utley and Rollins, who were considered to be among the best in the league at their positions, have since been downgraded to the middle of the pack with stars throughout the rest of the majors rising up.

Having said that, there are numerous players on the Phillies’ roster whose performance could take a turn for the worse next season. Whether it’s a gradual decline that’s about to hit rock bottom or a sudden free fall, some players just may not do as well as they had in years past.

Not all players listed in this slideshow will necessarily regress next season, but they have a chance of doing so, and we’ll discuss the reasons why each player mentioned could deteriorate.

Let’s get crackin’.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Potential Roadblocks in the Phillies’ Offseason Plans

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has quite a bit on his plate this offseason. Having already signed a veteran closer in Jonathan Papelbon, Amaro has one less obligation to worry about.

However, he’s still got a few more positions to settle: shortstop, another pinch hitter or two, and a left-handed reliever. Amaro could also look to sign a starting left fielder if he feels that John Mayberry Jr. can’t get the job done, or he could sign another starting pitcher if he feels that the rotation is lacking.

The offseason is still just beginning. With the kickoff of the annual Winter Meetings next week in Dallas, there will be signings galore, and most of the remaining free agents will have found their new (or former) team.

The biggest question is not who Amaro could sign, but what could prevent him from doing so for specific players. Signing higher profile free agents, such as Jimmy Rollins, will have more obstacles. Others may have a slight obstacle. Nevertheless, Amaro will have to work around any given roadblocks, and he’ll have to settle with the fact that not every deal he wants to do will get done.

But what sorts of roadblocks could persist? In this slideshow, we’ll discuss some of the potential targets or target positions for which Amaro may pursue players and what could prevent him from getting who he wants.

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5 Signs the Philadelphia Phillies Are the New New York Yankees

Despite what may be said about the Philadelphia Phillies‘ performance in the postseason the last few seasons, it is difficult to dispute that the Phillies have been one of baseball’s hottest teams over the last five seasons or so. Since they made the playoffs in 2007 for the first time since 1993, they have been to two World Series, winning one in 2008. They’ve proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the National League, if not the entire majors, and they continue to make the necessary moves to remain at the top.

On the other hand, one could argue that the Phillies have become successful primarily because they, behind GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., have brought in a slew of All Star-caliber players through trades and free agency, namely Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Hunter Pence and most recently, Jonathan Papelbon. Although their infield and bullpen have, for the most part, remained intact with farm-raised players, their outfield and starting rotation are almost solely comprised of acquired players.

The Phillies have, in recent years, traded their top prospects for fantastic players. And while it’s helped them maintain a perennially contending team, they have failed to win it all since 2008, when their team mainly consisted of players they drafted.

Because of their recent success due to their high-profile acquisitions, the Phillies have drawn comparisons to the New York Yankees. The Yankees, considered the top American League power, have been able to sign and trade for practically any player they desire throughout their franchise’s history. Since the NL has not had a team like that before, the Phillies have been called “the Yankees of the NL” because of their Yankee-like tendencies—signing top-tier free agents to long-term, lucrative contracts, and trading top prospects for top names available on the trade block.

Whether the Phillies are the new Yankees is a debatable topic—one that I heavily disagree with—but it is a topic worth thinking about, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this slideshow.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ten Moves the Phillies Could Make to Get Younger

Man, the Philadelphia Phillies’ players are getting old.

In fact, the Phillies have the oldest team in the majors, with the average player on the team being 29.9 years old. Last year, nobody in the infield for the team was under the age of 31 and the only everyday starter under the age of 30 was Hunter Pence. The starting rotation also saw three out of its five pitchers over the age of 32.

The team needs to get younger in order to remain a consistent contender. While the deals the Phillies have been creating to acquire All-Star and Cy Young-caliber talent have been great, the Phillies have lost roughly a dozen top prospects in those trades. The Phillies’ farm system is thinning, and if current trends continue, it will continue to thin out more and more, and when it’s time to bring up in-house players to play at the major league level, little-to-no talent will be there.

The Phillies are a win-now team, that’s a given. But in order to remain a contender past 2012, the Phillies will have to look ahead and figure out what will get them younger so they aren’t overpaying washed up veterans to man every position for the next 10 years.

Here’s ten ways how the Phillies can do just that.

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Phillies Trade/Free Agent News: 6 Tweaks to Make Them Even More Dominant

Now that the pages have turned and the book has closed on the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 2011 season, one that was supposed to lead them to a World Series title with their ace-studded rotation and dangerous offense, the only thing remaining between this season and the next for the Phils is the offseason.

While the offseason isn’t necessarily the most interesting part of baseball to fans, it is arguably one of the most significant. Impending free agents are re-signed or move on to new teams, and players can sign mega contracts bigger than a lottery payday. The free agency process can bring out either the angels or demons within players, agencies, and teams alike.

In the case of the Phillies, they will have an offseason that could be more important than any in recent memory. For the last few years, the Phillies have made few moves, albeit surprising. In 2008, they signed outfielder Raul Ibanez to a three-year, $31.5 million contract. After the 2009 season, they traded deadline acquisition Cliff Lee in a series of moves that netted them eventual-NL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay. And last season, they brought Lee back in a move that endeared both Lee himself and GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. in the hearts of Phillies fans.

Whether a free agent signing or a trade, whether at the trade deadline or in the offseason, the Phillies have made moves that they believe are necessary to make the team better. This season the Phils had a gap in right field; they filled it by acquiring Hunter Pence from the Astros. Four years before revolved around starting pitching; Kyle Lohse, Joe Blanton, Lee, and Roy Oswalt were acquired in the years that led the Phillies to division titles.

This offseason will be the same as those in the recent past, as the Phillies will be looking to fill the holes potentially left by impending free agents, specifically in left field, at shortstop, and in the bullpen, namely the closer’s role, and also first base with Ryan Howard possibly being out for a good chunk of next season. How the Fightins handle their newest challenge is impossible to predict, but there are always possibilities as to who they could bring to the City of Brotherly Love.

But who could be on the Phillies’ radar? Here are some possibilities.

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Philadelphia Phillies: With Braves Sweep, Rivalry Now Even More Intense

Say sayonara to the regular season and the same to the Atlanta Braves, Phillies fans.

With the win on Wednesday night in what is being dubbed one of the best nights in baseball history, the Phillies achieved a few milestones. First of all, they got to 102 wins, a franchise-best that was thought to be unattainable with the team’s eight game losing streak last week. The same goes for Charlie Manuel passing Gene Mauch for the Phillies all-time record in managerial wins, yet he did when he received his 646th career victory as the Phillies’ skipper.

But something that isn’t necessarily thought of as a milestone is that we eliminated the Braves from the playoffs that night. We came in hoping to just get win number 100, and we exceeded expectations by not only reaching wins 101 and ultimately 102, but we swept the Braves on the road in the final series of the season coming off just one win, which followed the eight game skid.

How did they do it? They just got hot at the right time, and considering that the series was the last en route to the postseason for the Phils, they ended the season on the best note possible.

As for the Braves, their loss (and collapse resulting from it) is being regarded as one of the biggest in baseball history, alongside that of the Boston Red Sox, who hold the title of having the biggest collapse ever in September baseball.

Both the Braves and Red Sox had substantial leads in September, peaking at eight and a half games and nine games respectively in the Wild Card races during this past month. Yet it was their at-the-time lowly competitors, the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL, that eventually took the crown in each league, simply by taking advantage of the leading teams slumping in September and winning enough games for themselves to take the Wild Card titles in each league.

 

Many things can be accused as the reason why the Braves faltered in September. They could blame their injuries to pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, which sat them both out the entire month and then some. They could fault manager Fredi Gonzalez, who in his first year of being manager of a postseason contender didn’t know how to handle the hype. They could blame Dan Uggla for his monstrosity of a season subtracting his hitting streak, or closer Craig Kimbrel for blowing the save in their most important game of the season. Or they could simply accuse the team on the whole for a bad September.

But knowing the way baseball works, they won’t be doing any of that, oh no. Who will they blame?

You guessed it. The Philadelphia Phillies.

Generally speaking, when teams in baseball are eliminated from October play, they tend to blame their competitors in the sport who were responsible, regardless of whether it’s right or not. It happens in every sport, from baseball to football to hockey (and yes, we’ll include basketball in here despite their little probability of having a season next year) and more. When a team is in a slump, especially at the end of their season, and are eliminated from the playoffs by another team, they tend to blame the team that beat them despite it being their own fault in some way.

But since the Phillies are division rivals and the Braves biggest competitor in recent years, the blame will arguably be bestowed upon them.

 

In some ways the Phillies are responsible for what occurred. They did sweep the Braves to end the season, their eight-win month of September, and their hopes of making a postseason run. Their sweep earlier in September sure didn’t help the Braves’ cause either.

And the Braves will jump on this faster than you can say…well, you get my point.

Personally, I think it’s a neat aspect to baseball to see another team potentially blame the team that took it all away from them. And the fact that it’s the division-rival Phillies who destroyed the Braves’ playoff dreams as they had done to us early last decade makes it even more enticing to think what could and will occur from this.

I remember attending the last two games the Phillies held at Veterans Stadium. The dates were Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28, 2003, the last day and night games at the Vet to be held. Lincoln Financial Field was near-finished across the parking lot, and Citizens Bank Park was still being built.

In what were two of the Phillies most important games at the time, games that would end the Vet’s legacy, they lost both of them. The Phils walked out of Veterans Stadium for the final time with their heads hanging down, anguished in the agony that came with losing the final game of the season, a date when almost all past players (including Tug McGraw, who made one of his final public appearances in the post-game ceremonies there) shared their legacy with the team as well, and the Phillies couldn’t even swallow their pride simply because they didn’t have any.

After that day, the New York Mets didn’t even matter to me anymore. It was the Braves who I wanted to see the wrath of the Phillies. And when that came starting in 2006 with their division streak snapped by the Mets and 2007 and beyond by the Phillies, I was happier than a clam (sorry for that awful idiom there, folks).

 

Seeing the Braves lose to the Phillies now was the final blow I had been waiting for for so long. And now that the Phillies play the red-hot Cardinals in the NLDS, I could be eating my words in a matter of days. But for now, I celebrate.

In unbiased and impersonal terms, this could mean something big. The Braves almost undoubtedly have more hatred for the Phillies than ever before thanks to this series. It could inspire them to win everything they can in the future.

At the beginning of their season, their attitude was probably to win the Wild Card and just compete with the Phillies as much as possible. But now that they aren’t even in the postseason at the mercy of the Phillies, their hatred of us could rise to a new level, one that sparks them enough to win the NL East once again.

Could that come next season? Absolutely, and it’s worth thinking about. But for now, the Phillies (and Cardinals) can rejoice in knowing that the Braves are done for the year, and the postseason has taken a whole new look because of it.

But next year, look out for the Atlanta Braves, who could hold a vengeance more prominent than that of any team the Phillies (or even the majors) has seen before.

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