Jimmy Rollins, the former Major League Baseball (MLB) MVP, got cut by the San Francisco Giants on the verge of the first regular season games starting on April 2. Throughout most of his playing career, Rollins was one of the best shortstops in the league, but age has recently taken its toll on the 38-year-old.
Rollins' decline since leaving Philly
Jimmy Rollins played most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, making his debut in the majors for the team back in 2000. He played for them through the 2014 season, until he got traded on December 19, 2014 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rollins would struggle offensively with the Dodgers, only hitting .224, the worst batting average of his career by 19 points. In September Rollins got benched for rookie Corey Seager. He then signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox and won the starting role at shortstop. Rollins only played in 41 games for the team and continued to struggle, hitting .221. On June 10 he got designated for assignment by the team and released five days later. The San Francisco Giants signed Rollins to a minor league deal in December with an invitation to spring training. Rollins did even worse in spring training with the Giants, batting .125.
Next stop, Hall of Fame?
With Jimmy Rollins now considering retirement due to his age and poor performance, was his career good enough to merit being in the Hall of Fame?
Rollins was the National League MVP in 2007 and was a key player in helping the Phillies win the World Series in 2008. He is also a three-time all-star, four-time Gold Glove winner and has a Silver Slugger. In 2014 he won the Roberto Clemente Award. Rollins is also the all-time Phillies leader in hits (2,306) and doubles (479).
He is also noted for being a great defensive shortstop. He has a career total of 511 doubles and 470 steals, with the only other players having at least those numbers being Ty Cobb, Barry Bonds and Paul Molitor. Rollins has strong supporters who believe he is a Hall of Famer, but others think that he is borderline and will fall just short.
