Many Phillies fans have August 4, 5, and 6 on their calendar to head down to Citizens Bank Park. The Los Angeles Dodgers are due to come to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies for a three-game series. Rollins sat on Wednesday, and fans who bought tickets to see their old friend Jimmy Rollins may be very disappointed, as Rollins' future with the Dodgers is in doubt.
Rollins' play has been so poor at the plate, fans and the Dodgers are starting to look for more options at shortstop. Dustin Rosler of Dodgers Digest broke down the really poor offensive stats Rollins has put up:
Sure, he has seven home runs and a decent 7.9 percent walk rate, but he isn’t doing much else well offensively.
His wRC+ is 68, which is 13th-worst in baseball among qualified leaders. His wOBA is .264, which is 12th-worst in baseball. And, he’s only 6-for-11 in stolen base attempts. His 3-run home run on opening day was great, but it’s about the only good thing he has done offensively this season.
Thankfully, his defense has been passable.
Passable defense might not be enough to warrant the Dodgers holding onto Jimmy Rollins.
Howard Cole, Sportswriter for both Forbes magazine and Rolling Stone magazine, sees the Rollins situation ending in a separation:
Despite Friedman's claims I don't see Rollins making it till the break.
— Howard Cole (@Howard_Cole) June 19, 2015
Part of the trouble for Rollins is that their top prospect is nearly ready at AAA.
Corey Seager, brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, is batting .324, with an OPS of .903, including nine home runs, 20 doubles, three triples, and 35 RBI. At AAA Oklahoma City, Seager probably cannot do much more in the minors to develop. Would the Dodgers consider promoting Seager and putting him in the lineup instead of Rollins?
The Dodgers certainly do not feel that same sense of loyalty to Rollins. They also have plenty of money and can eat a $10 million contract (the Phillies are paying the other $1 million) without a problem. Releasing Rollins would be the easy thing, but the Mets or even the Yankees might be able to use an infielder. It would not be a shocker to see Rollins with either New York club once he is cut loose.
Phillies fans probably will feel badly for Rollins, but they can take solace in the fact the Phillies are a Tom Windle and Zach Eflin richer for trading Rollins.
