Jimmy Rollins returns to the Phillies

As the offseason wore on, this seemed more and more inevitable: according to Jerry Crasnick, the Phillies and Jimmy Rollins have finally agreed on a contract that will keep the shortstop in Philadelphia for the next few years.  The money involved in the contract isn't known at this time but it is believed to be a 3 year deal with an option for a 4th year. UPDATE: Contract is worth 33 million over 3 years.  Not a bad value!

Given that neither the Phillies or Rollins had many other options, it was only a matter of time before a deal was reached.  Rollins should be a near-elite shortstop for the life of the contract so the Phillies did well to keep him in Philly.

Now that the shortstop position has been filled, what's next for the Phillies this offseason?  Will they bring in another outfielder?  Could they add another piece to the bullpen?  The roster seems pretty set at this point but I wouldn't be surprised at one more signing in the coming days.

Phillies falter, face must-win Game 5

The other Roy just wasn't good enough to get it done.  Roy Oswalt took the mound for the Phillies in Game 4 but didn't have his best stuff as he gave up 5 runs and the Phillies lost, 5-3, and now must play a do-or-die Game 5.  Here are a few quick thoughts on the game:

-Despite Oswalt not having his best stuff, he was still the right choice to start Game 4.  Vance Worley has been great this year but Oswalt is a veteran who has proven himself time and again in the playoffs.  No reason to second guess the starting pitching choice.

-The Phillies blew an early lead for the second time in this series.  The offense seems on point at the start of these games but has been basically absent in the middle innings.  Edwin Jackson is no great starter but the Phillies just couldn't crack him after the first inning.

-That Shane Victorino stumble and bad toss in the outfield was something else.  Can't say I've ever seen that before.  First Ronnie Brown and now this.  Yikes.

-I'm sure Oswalt, an avid hunter, can figure out a way to get rid of that squirrel.

-Jimmy Rollins has been ridiculously locked in, hitting 9 for 16 with 4 doubles and 6 runs scored.   Think he is gunning for a big contract this offseason?

-Brad Lidge faced his demons and won, getting Albert Pujols out in the 8th inning.  I'm not sure Lidge will ever live down the moon shot he gave up to Pujols a few years back but this was at least a positive step one.

Being forced into an elimination game is never a good thing for a team but the Phillies will send Roy Halladay to the mound and have Cliff Lee available out of the bullpen.  If the Cardinals are able to best the Phillies top two aces, they really are the better team.  In Roy and Cliff we trust!

As Polanco returns, Rollins exits to the DL

It looks like we will have to wait a little longer to see the Phillies lineup back at full strength. As expected, the Phillies have activated Placido Polanco from the disabled list and put him back into the lineup tonight. He will take the place of Jimmy Rollins, who is now on the DL with a mild groin strain.

The injury to Rollins doesn't sound serious so there really is no reason to panic. While it would be nice for the team to be back at full strength right now, there is still plenty of time until the playoffs. Giving Rollins a few weeks off will in no way hinder the Phillies playoff chances and it will help him be rested and ready come October. The same goes for Polanco who needs to do his best to keep his balky back from acting up.

Offensive assault, Worley's gem help Phillies crush Cubs

The heat in Chicago didn't slow the Phillies down this time. With temperatures in the mid to upper 90's throughout the game, the Phillies offense took charge early as they crushed the Cubs, 9-1.

The offense jumped all over Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, knocking him around for 7 hits and 6 runs in the first three innings. It was a team effort, with every Phillies starter except Shane Victorino picking up a hit. Jimmy Rollins provided the power for the Phils, hitting a pair of solo shots from each side of the plate in the later innings while scoring 4 runs in the game. When you get a big contribution from a guy like Michael Martinez (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 steals), you know the Phillies are going to be tough to beat.

Vance Worley threw yet another gem for the Phillies, striking out 7 while giving up just one run and four hits in 8 innings of work. He was solid early, allowing no hits until the 5th inning, and lowered his ERA on the season to a miniscule 2.02. Worley has turned into quite the asset for the Phillies and has more than adequately filled in for the injured Roy Oswalt. When Oswalt is healthy, Worley will certainly bump Kyle Kendrick out of the rotation. The Phillies will have an interesting decision to make with their rotation when Joe Blanton returns. With his value at as high of a point as it ever will be, could now be the perfect time to trade Worley?

With an off day tomorrow and a series with the Padres starting on Friday, the Phillies continue to find themselves in a great position. While the Braves are nipping at their heels, the Phils are in virtually no danger of not making the playoffs. Once they get there, we know this team is built for a deep playoff run.

Offense wakes up just in time to carry Phillies past Marlins

Better late than never, Phillies offense. After being shutout for the first six innings by Ricky Nolasco, the Phillies offense woke up in the late innings against the Marlins, picking up 5 runs in the final three frames to pull out a 5-3 win.

The big hit of the night belonged to Jimmy Rollins, who singled home a pair of runs with two outs in the top of the 9th. It was a quick turn back to hero for J-Roll after being the goat in yesterday's loss when his error allowed the Marlins to score the game-winning run. The other big hit for the Phillies came off the bat of Shane Victorino, who hit his 6th homer of the season to tie the game in the 8th inning.

Cliff Lee wasn't nearly as dominant in his outing tonight as his previous outing when he struck out 16 batters. While he did give up 3 runs and only managed 4 strikeouts, Lee was effective enough to keep the Phillies within striking distance for their late rally.

The win on Wednesday night secured a series victory for the Phillies over the Marlins and kept them 3 games ahead of Florida in the NL East. Now the Phils head to Atlanta and look to bury the Braves, who are currently 5 games behind them in the standings. They'll need the offense to not sleepwalk through the first 6 innings of the game if they want to get anything done against the strong Braves pitching.
(AP PHOTO)

Jimmy Rollins makes his latest "guarantee"

In what has become an annual right of spring, Jimmy Rollins has made his "guarantee" for the upcoming Phillies season. According to the Phillies beat writers, Rollins told the media: "Yeah, we'll win 100 games". Okay, so its not that controversial of a statement given the Phillies pitching staff and its not as bold as his "team to beat" comments from recent years, but Rollins is plenty confident about the upcoming season.

With the pitching the Phillies have and the fact that they won 97 games last year, 100 wins isn't an outlandish prediction, but it still won't be easy. The Phils will need Rollins, who is entering the final year of his contract, to stay healthy and have a big year at the plate. Let's hope Jimmy can live up to another one of his predictions.

Victorino wins 3rd straight Gold Glove

The baseball awards season is upon us and the Phillies figure to be bringing home some hardware. Besides the lock that Roy Halladay is winning the Cy Young, you have to figure Charlie Manuel will at least be in the discussion for Manager of the Year given the job he did with the injury-riddled Phillies roster. Announcements for those awards will happen in the coming weeks.

The first Phillie to get an award was Shane Victorino, was picked up his 3rd straight Gold Glove award. While Victorino may be winning the award every year simply based on reputation, he has certainly been a solid outfielder for the Phillies the past few years. Jimmy Rollins, who had won three straight Gold Gloves, didn't pick one up this year because of all of his injury issues.

The complete NL Gold Glove list:
P Bronson Arroyo (Reds)
C Yadier Molina (Cardinals)
1B Albert Pujols (Cardinals)
2B Brandon Phillips (Reds)
3B Scott Rolen (Reds)
SS Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies!)
OF Michael Bourn (Astros), Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies) and Shane Victorino (Phillies)

Can Jimmy Rollins hit? "You bet your sweet ass"

Hey, Charlie, can Jimmy Rollins still hit? According to Jayson Werth, his answer is priceless:

After J-Roll went 3 for 5 with a 3-run homer on Wednesday, I'd say Charlie Manuel knows what he's talking about.

Sigh of relief: Rollins will only miss a few days

Forgive me for jumping to conclusions but after word got out that Jimmy Rollins was limping after last night's game, given how things have gone for the Phillies this season, I figured J-Roll would be headed to the disabled list. Good news came out today, though, that Rollins merely bruised his foot when he fouled a pitch off, meaning he will only miss a few days and will not be put on the DL.

While there is always a possibility the injury worsens for Rollins and he misses extended time, I think it's safe to say the Phillies dodged a bullet on this one. Sure, being without Rollins as the team is gaining momentum will hurt for a couple of days but the Phils couldn't afford to have another regular miss significant time and hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. As we have seen, having to rely on Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs to play every day is just murder on the offense.

Phillies make history with 3rd straight walk-off win

Good times at the old ballpark, huh? For the third game in a row, the Phillies finished off the Reds with a walk-off hit, as Jimmy Rollins supplied the late heroics when he singled home Carlos Ruiz in the 11th inning to give the Phils a 1-0 win. It was the first time in team history that the Phillies have won three straight extra innings games with a walk-off hit.

Of course, since the game was 0-0 heading into the 11th inning, there was a lot more to this game than just Rollins' walk-off hit. Travis Wood of the Reds, making just his third start in the majors, had a perfect game through 8 innings before Ruiz broke it up with a lead-off double in the 9th. Wood went on to finish off the 9th inning without any more damage but was pulled from the game and ended up with a no-decision.

The Phillies nearly got as dazzling a pitching performance from Roy Halladay, who also threw 9 innings and gave up 5 hits, walked 1 and struck out 9. It was just another solid performance by Halladay, who isn't getting any run support from the Phillies, who have scored more than 3 runs in support of Doc just once in his last 12 starts.

Let's see if the Phillies can make it four walk-offs in a row tomorrow as they play their last game before the All-Star break. Or, how about they win 10-2 and save us from the late-game heart attacks for a change?

(Photo via Philly.com)

Welcome back, J-Roll!

Now that's how you make an impact in your second game back. Way to go hitting your first career walk-off home run, Jimmy Rollins!

Phillies moves: Rollins is back, Ruiz to the DL, Dobbs a goner

The Phillies made a series of moves in preparation for their series against the Indians:

*Jimmy Rollins was activated from the disabled list
*Greg Dobbs was designated for assignment
*Carlos Ruiz was put on the disabled list
*Mike Zagurski was called up from the minors
*Scott Mathieson has cleared and was optioned to the minors

The biggest move out of all of these is the return of Jimmy Rollins to the lineup. Rollins, who has played a grand total of 14 games this season, should immediately help a struggling offense. While Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro have played well at times, adding J-Roll adds another dangerous bat to the mix. Hopefully he stays healthy this time.

On the other hand, losing Carlos Ruiz, who was put on the DL retroactive to June 19th due to concussion issues, will hurt the offense as the Phillies are forced to turn to Brian Schneider and Dan Sardinha at catcher. Hopefully the concussion symptoms go away quickly for Ruiz and he can be back sometime before the All-Star break.

As for the loss of Greg Dobbs, I join with many Phillies fans in saying good riddance. While Dobbs was once a reliable pinch hitter, his .152 average and meager power this season have turned him into a useless bench player. With no glove to go with no bat, the Phillies made the right call in keeping Valdez and dropping Dobbs.

Finally, Mike Zagurski's return to the Phillies is a nice story because he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007. Much like Scott Mathieson, Zagurski has made the long recovery from Tommy John surgery and earned another shot in the Phillies pen. The big lefty doesn't have great career numbers (5.91 ERA) but it's always nice to have a second left handed option to call upon.

As the dust settles from this flurry of moves, the Phillies come out with a slightly better lineup and bench. Yes, Carlos Ruiz being out will make the bottom of the order a pair of automatic outs in a row but having Rollins back at the top keeps things from being a complete black hole at 7-8-9. With Rollins back, I'm interested to see what Charlie Manuel does with the order. It's probably safe to assume that Jimmy Rollins will slot back in the leadoff spot but will Shane Victorino bat 2nd or 7th? If everyone starts hitting like they can (a big if, I know), the Phillies lineup should be back to being the best in the NL in the 1-7 spots.

Sound familiar? Rollins to the DL, Valdez called up

Hopefully you weren't getting used to the Phillies being at full strength. After leaving Friday's game when he re-injured his calf, Jimmy Rollins has been put back on the disabled list. While initial reports were that Rollins' calf strain wasn't nearly as bad this time, the Phillies clearly don't want to risk further injury.

Wilson Valdez has been called up to replace Rollins on the roster, just like he was back on April 14th when Rollins was first injured. Valdez, who just cleared waivers, will be backing up Juan Castro, who takes over as the starting shortstop once again.

One of these days the Phillies offense will be healthy and rolling. For now, let's enjoy the fact that the team is 11 games over .500 and is 2nd in the NL in runs scored without their optimum lineup.

Phillies roster shuffle: Rollins, Bastardo in; Lidge, Valdez out

With most of my attention focused on the Flyers playoff run, I haven't had much energy to talk about the Phillies on the site lately. Needless to say, despite whatever imperfections the Phils have in the bullpen, the team has been on a roll lately, playing like the two time National League Champs that they are.

The only real news to come from the Phillies in the last few days has been a series of roster moves as more players have succumbed to injury and others have made their way back. First, the bad news: Brad Lidge was placed back on the disabled list as he continues to deal with elbow issues. Things just haven't been right for Lidge this season and I would expect him to not be rushed back this time. In his absence, with Ryan Madson also still out for several weeks, Jose Contreras is taking over at closer. While Contreras has been a stud out of the bullpen, should the Phillies be without Lidge for a long period of time, I would expect them to start seeking out a trade for a new closing option.

With Lidge being removed from the roster, Antonio Bastardo was called up once again. He will give the team a second lefty out of the pen but should be ready to get shifted back down to the minors at any time.

Also returning to the Phillies on Monday was Jimmy Rollins, who was activated from the disabled list and inserted right into the lineup. While his replacements at shortstop haven't been terrible, J-Roll's return brings the Phillies one step closer to their ideal lineup, a scary thought for a team that has been producing plenty of runs recently. To make room for Rollins, the Phillies designated Wilson Valdez for assignment, meaning they have 10 days to trade, release or place him on waivers. With how well Valdez had been playing in the field, it's a shame they may lose him, but he is the third string shortstop and he was pretty terrible with the bat.

Two more pieces of good Phillies news: Carlos Ruiz is back after taking a few days off and J.A. Happ is starting to throw, signaling he is making progress towards a return to the team. It should be frightening to the rest of the league that, with all of these players coming back into the fold, this Phillies team, already 10 games over .500, is only going to get better. Be afraid, National League, be very afraid.

Rollins to the DL, Valdez called up

After suffering a mysterious injury just moments prior to the Phillies home opener, we finally know what's wrong with Jimmy Rollins. According to Ruben Amaro, Rollins has a mild to moderate right calf strain, one that is likely to keep him out 2-4 weeks, and the team has placed him on the disabled list. To replace him on the 25 man roster, the Phillies have called up infielder Wilson Valdez from Triple A.

While the news sounded like it could have been worse given how long it took them to announce it, Rollins will still be missed in the lineup until he can return sometime in May. In his absence, expect Juan Castro to get most of the starts at shortstop with Valdez sliding into Castro's old utility infielder role. We should also expect a lineup shuffle as Shane Victorino figures to jump to the top of the order and Castro slots into the 7th or 8th spot in the lineup.

It's never a good thing when a star player goes down with injury, but if the Phillies are going to have to play without Rollins for a few weeks, the beginning of the season is the easiest time to deal with it. Sure, the lineup will be a little weaker for a short period of time but Rollins will still come back and play the remaining 125 games or so and help the Phils bounce back from whatever lull they experienced without him for 20 games. The most important thing right now is that Rollins gets healthy so he can come back quickly and help keep the Phillies lineup the most potent in baseball.

Phillies win home opener; lose Rollins, Werth to minor injuries

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

It almost seems like nothing can stop the Phillies from winning this season. In their home opener on Wednesday against the Nationals, the Phils overcame a middling performance by a starting pitcher, an early offensive lull and injuries to two key players to still win the game, 7-4.

The injuries to Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth are likely to be the biggest story from the game. Rollins was announced as being in the starting lineup but was a late scratch due to a right calf strain. In his place, Juan Castro stepped in and played shortstop and led off. Werth's injury happened during the game; he left the game with hip soreness in the 7th after singling in the 6th. The Phillies have an off day tomorrow which will be good timing for each, though there is already talk that Rollins will have an MRI. I'm not one to speculate on injuries but both sound minor; we'll have to wait and hear about the results of Rollins' MRI but I would guess that neither player misses significant time.

As for the action on the field, it was really a tale of two innings. Cole Hamels looked solid for most of his 5 and 2/3rds innings but ran into issues in the 4th where he gave up three runs on a few weak hits by the Nationals, including a bloop double by pitcher Jason Marquis. While the good news for Hamels is that he wasn't hit particularly hard, the bad news was that he always seems to run into trouble at least once a game where he should have gotten out of an inning before any damage was done.

The Phillies offense also did most of their work in one inning as they scored 5 runs in the 5th. Juan Castro took advantage of the absence of Rollins and hit a one run double which was followed by a two run single by Placido Polanco and a two run home run by Chase Utley. For a Phillies offense that sleepwalked through the first three innings, they sure made up for Hamels' hiccup in a hurry.

The Phillies keep just keep on rolling through April. Sure, they haven't played a team with any real major league talent yet but it's still nice to see the Phillies beating up on teams they should have no problem with. You can only play the teams that are on your schedule and the Phillies are taking advantage of some weak opponents to help them get off to a great start. Hopefully it all continues when they play Florida and Atlanta next week.

Rollins, Victorino repeat as Gold Glove winners

MLB award season has begun and several Phillies expect to be up for some of the big awards. Among the Phillies in contention for an award include Ryan Howard (MVP), Charlie Manuel (Manager of the Year) and J.A. Happ (Rookie of the Year). Those awards are coming in the next few days but first a few Phillies have been honored with Gold Glove awards.

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino were both honored by Rawlings today with a Gold Glove for their respective positions. For Rollins, it's his third straight Gold Glove and he has begun to win them solely on his reputation as a slick fielder. For Victorino, it's his second straight Gold Glove.

The one Phillie who was not given a Gold Glove who probably deserved one was Chase Utley. Utley is a fine defensive second baseman but he was beaten out by Orlando Hudson of the Dodgers. Perhaps Utley's bad throws in the playoffs did him in?

The complete NL Gold Glove list:
P Adam Wainwright (Cardinals)
C Yadier Molina (Cardinals)
1B Adrian Gonzalez (Padres)
2B Orlando Hudson (Dodgers)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals)
SS Jimmy Rollins (Phillies)
OF Michael Bourn (Astros), Matt Kemp (Dodgers) and Shane Victorino (Philadelphia).

Jimmy Rollins delivers for the Phillies

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

What can you say about the World Champs? They never quit. No matter the deficit, no matter the mountain they have to climb, you can never count the Phillies out of a game.

On Monday night, trailing by one run with two runners on and two outs, Jimmy Rollins created another magical memory with his bat, lacing a line drive deep into the outfield to win the game for the Phillies. The win gives the Phillies a huge 3-1 lead in the NLCS over the Dodgers.

With Game 5 coming Wednesday, the Phillies are just one game away from a return to the World Series. With Cole Hamels taking the mound against Vicente Padilla of the Dodgers, you have to like the Phillies chances. Even if Hamels continues to pitch poorly, you have to think the Phillies will find a way to get to Padilla after he shut them down last time.

So there you have it. The Phillies have given us another moment that we will all remember. Rollins' hit goes right along with Matt Stairs' and Shane Victorino's homers last year, Ryan Howard's heroics this season and all of the big hits Carlos Ruiz has had over the last few years. The Phillies have proven time and time again they are a team of destiny, a team that you can't count out until the final out. What a team, and what a magical October this is already turning out to be.

All is right in the world: the Phillies sweep the Mets

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

And just like that, things are starting to look up for our local baseball team. The Phillies, who were slowly losing their grip on first place in the NL East after a recent nosedive where they lost 14 of their last 18 games, seemed to turn everything around as they swept their rival, the Mets, in three straight games. Yeah, so the Mets, dealing with numerous injuries, aren't exactly a top club right now, but the Phillies turned them aside with ease, outscoring them 13-3 in the series.

The hero of the series? Dare I say Jimmy Rollins? Rollins, who was barely hitting over .200 entering the series, went 5 for 11 against the Mets and drove in 5 runs. He rose his average all the way up to .217, and even took a few walks in the process. Looks like the Jimmy of old to me.

The pitching was the real story against the Mets, however. Rodrigo Lopez, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton all had great starts, pitching deep into the games and allowing only a handful of hits each. The bullpen also closed the door, finishing out each game without giving up a single run. The slumping Brad Lidge even managed two perfect 9th innings to get a pair of saves against the Mets.

What a holiday weekend for the Phillies, they actually played like the World Champions that they are. Now we need to see if this series was just the team getting up to play against the Mets or if they have truly turned the ship around. They aren't out of the woods yet, because despite how well they played, the Marlins are still 1 game behind them in the standings. The Phillies have a pulse again, let's see how long it lasts.

Get lost, Phillies, and don't come back until you are ready to win at home

On the road, they are the best team in baseball. At home, they are as bad as the Nationals. That's your 2009 Phillies, everyone.

Since lamenting in my post last week about their home woes, the Phillies proceeded to lose four more games at home, bringing their home record to 13-22, the second worst home record in baseball. On the road, the Phillies are still a remarkable 23-9, far and away the best in the league away from home.

I'll once again ask the same question I asked last week: is this a real trend or just a statistical anomaly? The teams that the Phillies have played at home and on the road are just about equally as good, so you can't blame it on a harder home schedule. Injuries, while they are a lame excuse because every team deals with them, still play a part in the current losing streak. I defy any team to lose their top hitter, their second best pitcher and their closer and keep winning consistently. Add on top of that the sickness that kept Ryan Howard out yesterday, and the Phillies can blame some of their current woes on injuries.

But, injuries don't explain why the Phillies still make average starters like Rich Hill and Scott Richmond look like All Stars. And, injuries don't explain what has happened to Jimmy Rollins, who is hitting an atrocious .217 and has a .261 on base percentage. How is a team supposed to win when their leadoff hitter never gets on base? I think it's time once again for Charlie Manuel to drop Rollins to 6th in lineup. Shane Victorino and his .304 average and .365 OBP deserves to be at the top of the order.

Luckily for the Phillies, they get to leave Philadelphia for a 9 game road trip, heading to Tampa Bay, Toronto and Atlanta. Hopefully the Phils will hit the road and leave all of their home woes behind. I have never seen a team be so backwards, to be this bad at home and relish playing on the road. I've also rarely seen a team keep its slim lead atop a division after losing 6 straight games, but that shows just how bad the rest of the NL East has been. If the Phillies want to stay in first, however, they need to right themselves at home. You simply can't win a division if you can't win at home.