Jimmy Rollins Signs 3-Year Deal with Philadelphia Phillies

Jimmy Rollins has agreed to a three-year deal with the Phillies, according to Jerry Crasnick of espn.com. The deal is said to be worth around $33 million with a fourth-year vesting option, according to Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com. 

The Milwaukee Brewers were among other teams who were in the running for Rollins, but Crasnick himself stated, “Brewers made an offer, but he ultimately wanted to stay home.”

Rollins, who is 33 years old, hit .268 with 16 HR and 63 RBI last season. He has spent his entire career in Philadelphia, and Phillies fans will be satisfied to see him stay put.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Are They Interested in Jim Thome or Jason Giambi?

After acquiring Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros just yesterday, it looks like the Philadelphia Phillies have no intentions of slowing down.

Jayson Stark tweeted earlier that the Phillies may be interested in another power hitter, specifically Jason Giambi or former Phillie Jim Thome. The tweet stated:

Next #Phillies move might not be for an arm. Still have interest in HR threat off the bench like Jason Giambi. Even asked on Thome.

When everyone in the lineup is healthy, the current bench players include: Ben Francisco, Brian Schneider, Wilson Valdez, Michael Martinez and Ross Gload.

There isn’t much power there.

Considering Schneider is the backup catcher, the Phillies probably want to replace Gload, who has just six RBI this year with no home runs.

The Phillies were rumored earlier in the week to be interested in Giambi and he “appeared almost certain to go to Philly” according to Troy Renck, who covers the Rockies. But Thome is a brand new name.

Although Giambi and Thome are both 40 years old, I think they would be solid fits for the Phillies. 

Giambi is used to the “bench-power guy” role with the Rockies and has done a great job with it by hitting 10 HR and knocking in 24 runs so far this season.

Thome, on the other hand, has been a valuable DH for the Twins. In just 52 games this year (he suffered an injury this year), he has seven home runs and had 25 last year in just 108 games.

Both of these guys still have some pop in their bat and could become valuable options for the playoffs. Just think of them as playing the same role Matt Stairs did in 2008.

If the Phillies can get one of these guys for cheap, I say go for it. Besides, wouldn’t you want to see Thome hit his 600th home run in a Phillies jersey? 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Who Is the Right Fit for the Phillies?

As the trade deadline nears, there has been no shortage of rumors surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The team is in desperate need of a right-handed bat and a relief pitcher. For today’s sake, we will take a look at every hitter that has been involved in rumors and see who is a right fit for the team.

Each player has his strong points, but most come with a few flaws.

Charlie Manuel has already made it clear that he wants a difference maker on this team. Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com states that the Phillies have just $3 million to work with before they exceed their $178 million payroll, which will trigger a luxury tax.

By the end of this slideshow, we’ll get to the bottom of who is the right fit for the Phillies and who they should stay away from.

Now it’s time to take a look at the potential trade targets…

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Best Offensive Seasons in Team History

The Philadelphia Phillies are a team with a rich history that dates back 128 years. 

Along the way they have produced many Hall of Fame players including: Steve Carlton, Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts and Jim Bunning.

Over the years, they have accumulated just two World Series trophies while fluctuating between solid and poor campaigns.

There have been many years that have been particularly strong offensively. Here are the 10 best offensive seasons in Phillies history.  

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: Charlie Manuel’s Squad’s Biggest Trade Needs

No matter how hot a team is, there is always room for improvement.

The Phillies are one of the best teams in baseball, but there are definitely players out there who could be very useful and valuable down the stretch.

Among the low-lights of the Phils this season are all of the injuries: Chase Utley, Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras and Shane Victorino, to name a few.

Players have stepped up, but I do not believe that they can rely on those players everyday.

There is a big field out there and the Phillies have a lot of possibilities to work with this year. 

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Ways Chase Utley Will Transform the Team

After going through some ups and downs and finally recovering from a knee injury, Chase Utley is back and ready to go for the Philadelphia Phillies.

He made his debut this season in late May and is just starting to get into an everyday role.

Despite his slow start, Utley still has had solid games this season and just needs enough time to get into a groove, especially after coming off an injury. I think Utley will spark soon, which will ignite the rest of the team.

Although he is not the same player he used to be, Utley still can impact and transform the team in many ways. 

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking the Phillies’ Injuries in Order of Importance

Although the Phillies have one of the best records in the MLB, they have been in a hitting slump lately and have been missing some key players due to injury.

Fortunately, Chase Utley has made his way back, but it would be impossible not to put him on this list. However, he is certainly not the only one.

The players on this list are the current players on the disabled list and not the ones from earlier in the season. 

It can definitely be said that the start of the season has been injury plagued and unlucky even though the Phillies have found success. 

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: Does Vance Worley Deserve a Full-Time Spot over Blanton?

Vance Worley, a 23-year-old up and coming prospect for Philadelphia, has done a fine job in replacement for fifth starter Joe Blanton—many fans are satisfied with him and actually prefer him over Blanton.

After suffering an elbow injury in late April, Blanton was placed on the disabled list while Worley emerged.

Worley pitched six innings in each of his two starts in substitution for Blanton, while recording a win both times. Plus, he gave up no runs in his first outing (and two hits) and just one run in his second.

Many Phillies fans, including myself, have been loving the production out of the young pitcher, as he has shown many positive signs for the future.

However, I believe that promoting Worley to permanent starter status is pushing the envelope a little too much.

Granted, he has pitched well, but these were his first starts—the opposing players were just introduced to the way he pitches. I am not saying that Worley is one of these pitchers, but baseball fans have witnessed many fluke beginner starts.

Not only that, but fans seem to be brushing over the talent and experience of Blanton. He has been with Philly ever since they won the World Series, and turning him into a reliever at this point in his career is just not right.

I will be the first to admit that the overall stat sheet for Blanton is the complete opposite of attractive, with a 1-2 record and a 5.50 ERA. 

But if you take a deeper look into his games, he only had two very bad starts where he gave up five and seven runs. Other than that, he has given up no more than three runs in the rest of his four starts. 

The Phillies should just keep Worley where he is now: doing a solid job as a reliever and available as a very serviceable replacement in case of injury. He is still just 23 years old and has plenty of time to step up once older pitchers on the team eventually leave. 

Like I said, I am a big fan of Worley and I think he did a great job in substitution for Blanton. But right now, Worley is just not ready and Blanton is the better option. 

Take your pick, Phillies fans: Blanton or Worley?

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Trade Scenarios: 6 Ideas to Solve the Raul Ibanez Problem

The issue of Raul Ibanez in left field was an obstacle that the Phillies‘ management new would come up soon.

Despite his recent success, we all know that Ibanez’ time is coming to an end fast. Ibanez is a 39-year-old veteran who is on a hot surge as of late, but realistically this won’t last for too long.

In his last year of his contract at an old age, it will be very hard for Philly to find a suitor for him.

In the following slides, we’ll go through possible trades that could happen between the Phillies and other teams. All of them will involve the Phillies giving up prospects, but that’s just the way deals work in the MLB. 

Considering it is early in the season, this is much more of a prediction/educated guess of the future, because not many rumors have been spread about Ibanez and the Phillies thus far.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Trade Targets To Shore Up Feeble Outfield

Despite a hot start by the Phillies this season, all good things come with flaws.

After Philadelphia gave up their starting right fielder Jayson Werth, they have lost a solid, everyday outfielder.

Ben Francisco has stepped in and so has Dominic Brown. Francisco has done a good job and I really like him, but maybe he is just not the right guy to have be that everyday starter. Brown is also hurt and still very young.

Plus, Raul Ibanez’s time is starting to come to an end.

When trade talk starts to come around, the Phillies always seem to put their foot in the door for someone and we never know what Ruben Amaro has in store for this season.

So the following players on this list are possible targets that the Phillies may go after. Some are much more likely than others while some have extremely little chance.

Begin Slideshow

Next Page »