Could the Philadelphia Phillies have some competition for shortstop Jimmy Rollins?
After missing out on Jose Reyes and Aramis Ramirez, the Tigers may be the second mystery team Rollins’ agent Dan Lozano referred to when he mentioned “on-going’ dialogue with a second team other than the Phillies.
No other team other than the incumbent Phillies have been linked to the 33-year-old shortstop. The Cardinals and Brewers dropped out last week however rumors began to develop among other clubs that the Tigers could be positioning themselves to make a run at Rollins.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski recently mentioned he’s unlikely to move current Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta to third. However the Tigers did get into discussions with Reyes before he agreed to terms with the Marlins and have yet to acquire a bigger name shortstop, third baseman or second baseman that Dombrowski was hinting at just after the Tigers’ season ended.
Other teams that could be in the market for a veteran shortstop are the Giants, Braves and Red Sox.
The Giants and Braves have repeatedly said thought that they’ve got limited dollars to spend while the Red Sox seem more and more likely to save their money after making another commitment to David Ortiz.
Currently Rollins is seeking a five-year deal that would rank him among the top three or four highest paid shortstops in the league. Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers have also been a team that hasn’t hesitated in the past to give veterans longer term contracts. You don’t have to look any further than the deal they gave C/DH Victor Martinez during last year’s off-season.
Ref: ESPN, articles.nydailynews.com (image)
