The saga is over: Rollins reunites  with Phillies, inks three-year deal BY Patrick Gordon December 18, 2011 pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com ______________________________________ It appears Jimmy Rollins will remain in Philadelphia for at least three more seasons. The 33-year-old inked a three-year deal with the Phillies on Saturday worth $33 million. The contract includes a vesting option for a fourth year, hinging on games played. ESPN.com was the first to report an agreement. Following weeks of rumors and false reports, Rollins remains the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia.    “I’ve been here since 1996. That’s a long time in this organization,” Rollins said following the postseason. “It’s the only one I’ve known. I’ve never thought about having to go anywhere else.” Rollins had originally been seeking a five-year deal worth near $60 million, but the market dwindled following the winter meetings as Jose Reyes, Alex Gonzalez, and Rafael Furcal were all plucked from the free agent market. “If I was older, I’d take a shorter term,” Rollins said in October. “But I’ll be 33 when I get the contract. That means I have a good six years left to perform at a high level and maybe even more.” “I’m glad that it’s over,” Rollins told MLB.com. “Negotiations take time and both parties usually get a good idea where a finish line can be. It usually takes time to get there, but we got there.” A three-time All-Star, Rollins was selected by the Phillies in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft and was the 2007 NL MVP. Ankle and leg issues forced him to miss 94 games over the past two seasons, but he performed well down the stretch last season and hit .450 in the NLDS.   Rollins has never been the prototypical leadoff hitter, but Charlie Manuel likes what he brings to the table in terms of speed and getting on base. His .736 OPS last season ranked 10th among major- league shortstops. “I see you all know by now, gotta deal with me for 3 (4) more years,” Rollins tweeted to fans Saturday afternoon. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters last week that the club likely would be finished making offseason moves if it were to re-sign Rollins - the club has guaranteed contracts with 16 players for 2012, while four others are eligible for arbitration. The Phillies have $135 million already guaranteed in payroll for 2012. That number will rise with raises through arbitration to Cole Hamels, Hunter Pence, Kyle Kendrick and Wilson Valdez, so the opening day payroll will fall near $170 million.
© Patrick Gordon, 2011