New York Mets inquired about Jimmy Rollins

The search for an answer to their shortstop woes has left the New York Mets evaluating every option, even those within the division, as the team reportedly made an inquiry with the Philadelphia Phillies about Jimmy Rollins. ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin notes that the talks didn’t progress very far because Rollins has no interest in leaving Philadelphia.

As a player with 10-and-5 rights, Rollins has the ability to veto any potential trade. He’s slated to earn $11 million in 2015 before reaching free agency.

Rollins, who will turn 36 later this month, hit .243/.323/.394 this past season in 609 plate appearances. He’d add 22 doubles, 17 home runs, and 28 stolen bases. His .717 OPS, however, was the fourth lowest total of his 15 year career and he’s simply no longer the same threat atop the lineup as he once was.

Moreover, the Phillies are no longer the same team Rollins has helped lead throughout his career – with age, injuries, and general ineffectiveness plaguing a roster that has finished well out of contention in each of the past three years.

The Mets are known to be aggressively pursuing a solution at shortstop this offseason and appear to prefer the trade market rather than the few free agent options available. The team has already been linked to a multitude of options early on – Alexei Ramirez, Didi Gregorious, Starlin Castro, Troy Tulowitzki and others – but it remains to be seen what direction the team may make their strongest efforts. Pitching depth is clearly something that the organization is looking to turn into a solution, but there appears to be more internal interest in moving Dillon Gee, Bartolo Colon, Jonathan Niese, or even Rafael Montero where a number of these teams will likely ask for one of Zack Wheeler or Noah Syndergaard instead.