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)