There's nothing for Giants fans to really watch when it comes to the playoffs insofar as players to root for, but the Phillies might have a guy of interest to San Francisco fans.
Oakland native Jimmy Rollins, the Philadelphia shortstop, is slated to be a free agent and, according to a recent interview isn't "afraid to leave" the Phillies for newer pastures.
"Right now there is no better place to play baseball, especially in the National League,'' Rollins said of Philadelphia when speaking to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman in a recent interview. "With that being said, I've been here since I am 17. I never thought of going anywhere else. But am I afraid to leave? Not at all. Nothing's permanent. I don't get caught up to the point where it's either this or nothing.''
Rollins will be 32 when the season ends, which might terrify Giants fans but also manage to work in the favor of the front office since we all know they won't sign anyone under 31 tend to prefer utilizing veterans.
And Rollins isn't looking to hang around with a team until he's 39, either.
"Five would be great. Five would be the number,'' Rollins said about the number of years he wants on his next deal. "I don't think I want six or seven. You start thinking about 39 [years old]. Do I want to play at 39?''
Rollins is a former NL MVP and he's continued putting up pretty darn good defense even as he's moved past his prime.
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He won't be cheap, either, but given the high cost for Jose Reyes, Rollins may end up being a relative bargain for whoever signs him.
And one of his very good friends, Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia recently told Heyman that he thinks Rollins will end up with the Giants, which is interesting indeed.
There should probably be some concern that the Giants might dive into five full years of Rollins, especially if he experiences a decline (one which might be fueled by the miserably vast AT&T Park) soon after signing the contract.
It might not matter, of course, because as Heyman points out, the Phillies are still the favorites to land their guy.
But it certainly should give Giants fans something to keep an eye on during the playoffs.
