Jimmy Rollins wants a five-year contract. Of course he does.
"If I was older, I’d take shorter years," said the soon-to-be 33-year old Rollins. "I’m looking to get five years. If it’s shorter than that, there’d have to be a fifth-year option, my option."
This is tangentially related to the Giants because they need a shortstop, Rollins is a shortstop, and Rollins is from the Bay Area, which is how the Giants usually get all of their free agents. Well, the hometown discount is one thing, and the other way they get free agents is by overpaying players for contracts that are too long, but it's mostly the hometown thing.
Actually, I'm pretty sure that the Giants have never signed a big free agent who was from the area. Well, Tyler Walker was a big free agent from San Francisco, but don't be so literal.
There's only one source for the speculation that Rollins might want to play closer to where his roots is*, and that's the well-deserved arrogance and elitism that Bay Area residents have cultivated by living in the best place in the world. I've never been to Philadelphia, but I'm pretty sure it's filled with Cheez-Whiz fountains and seedy tourist traps filled with animatronic Founding Fathers. Sounds tacky. So of course Rollins would rather play here.
Rollins isn't going to get a five-year contract, though. And the Giants certainly aren't going to sign an ex-Phillie for five years and too much money.
Again. They won't do it again. I can guarantee this because of the simple fact that
But whenever Rollins, Jose Reyes, or even Rafael Furcal come up, the Giants' Twitterverse jumps alive. We're all expecting a long rosterbation season for shortstops, and Rollins really does seem like a Sabean player. He's fast (or was), he plays a position of need, and he's a wily vet who has been around the block and knows how to win and fits in well with the clubhouse as a class act. That's why we're scared of him. Those kind of players usually get a contract that's a year too long from the Giants, and that's when we get lucky.
This isn't a post to argue for or against Rollins for a year or five -- there will be way too much time for that in November and December. But it's just a note that the Giants' offseason priority list looks something like this:
1. Shortstop
2. Shortstop
3. Shortstop
4. Carlos Beltran or other corner outfielder
...
...
159. Anything else.
And that's probably how it should be. But the market is something like this:
Jimmy Rollins
Jose Reyes
Rafael Furcal
Clint Barmes
Bart Climes
Clint Q. Barmes (not that one)
Which is extra-super scary. Whenever Rollins speaks for the next two months, it's going to be Giants-related news. Fair warning.
* Steve Miller should totally rhyme "roots is" with "SCOTUS." That's why I didn't change it to "roots are." Hoping he reads this. ♥ U STEVIE