Jimmy Rollins said prior to the free agency period that he didn’t plan on giving the Phillies a hometown discount. As it turned it out, that wasn’t the case. Jimmy says that the better offer came from the Brewers, but in the end he preferred to stay in the place he’s called home for the past decade.
"If it was purely about guaranteed money and guaranteed years, I’d be wearing blue and gold in Milwaukee," Rollins said. "There is a lure about Philly. I’ve been part of the foundation here. The fans have seen me grow up since I was 21. Do you leave that for money or do you stay home? This is where I want to be."
Rollins is currently the longest tenured athlete in the city of Philadelphia and is very much the “face” of the Phillies organization. So there was certainly an argument to be made that the Phillies should have overpaid to keep him if they had to, but the general reaction is that it’s a fair deal for both sides.
Rollins was originally looking for five years, but the Phillies got him for 3 plus what he calls an “easily attainable” vesting option for a fourth year.
“Would I have loved to have gotten five years? No doubt,” said Rollins. "But from the beginning, I felt if I could get a four-year deal it would be great. This isn’t a four-year deal, but it’s damn near in my eyes. The vesting option is very attainable. In my eyes, this is a four-year deal which is a great number."