MLB Free Agents 2012: Philadelphia Phillies Should Re-Sign Jimmy Rollins

The Philadelphia Phillies' 2011 season is in the books, and it's time to make some tough personnel decisions.

Some notable Phillies players potentially heading for free agency include: Raul Ibanez, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson and Roy Oswalt.

But the biggest name is Jimmy Rollins.

The 12-year veteran has spent his entire professional career in the Phillies organization. Rollins has made it clear that he would love to remain a Phillie but will not be providing any sort of hometown discount.

With Rollins' contract expiring, the front office needs to decide how much they are willing to commit to an aging shortstop. 

If the Phillies can't reach an agreement with Rollins he will have no trouble finding work elsewhere.

Here are the reasons why the Phillies need to take the risk and pay Rollins what he wants.

In-House Option 1

Phillies fans have gotten a chance to see what this team is like without Jimmy Rollins, and it's not pretty.

Of the players already in the Phillies' organization, Michael Martinez would be the most likely to take over as the everyday shortstop.

Martinez was a Rule 5 pick and spent the entire 2011 season with the major league club.

Martinez's greatest quality is his versatility. Over the course of the season Martinez played: 2B, SS, 3B, LF and CF.

Martinez is best used as a utility man. He is a light-hitting player with average speed and defensive skills.

Martinez would be exposed if used as an everyday shortstop.

In-House Option 2

The other option on the Phillies' major league roster is Wilson Valdez.

Valdez is an older, less-versatile version of Martinez.

In just over 1,000 career plate appearances Valdez has batted .243 with six home runs while swiping 14 bases.

He is not up to par with an everyday player defensively either.

Wilson Valdez cannot be the starting shortstop of a team with World Series aspirations.

Minor League Option

Unfortunately, there is not a lot to see here either.

The Phillies' top prospect at shortstop is Freddy Galvis.

Galvis has the most upside of any of the team's internal options, but it's still not that great.

Not to mention, it's unlikely that he would be ready for 2012 after only 33 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

If Galvis continues to develop he could be see big league action some time down the road but not next season.

Minor League Option 2

The only other option out of the minor league system is Kevin Frandsen.

Frandsen has seen limited major league action, primarily with the San Francisco Giants.

He turned in a decent year in 2007 hitting nearly .270 for the Giants over the course of 109 games.

With Lehigh Valley, Frandsen hit .309 with five homers and 43 RBI in 81 games.

Frandsen provides organizational depth but is not likely to be a big contributor at the major league level.

So where to now?

The Other FA Shortstops

The top free-agent shortstop of the 2012 class is Jose Reyes.

With big dollars already tied up, the Phillies will not be active in the Reyes sweepstakes.

The consensus No. 2?

Jimmy Rollins.

After these two players, the free-agent options are less than thrilling.

There's Rafael Furcal who seems to be rejuvenated in St. Louis, but he is still a 33-year-old oft-injured player.

Furcal could be a serviceable stopgap, but the Phillies don't have a shortstop in-waiting.

There are also options like Alex Gonzalez and Marco Scutaro.

Gonzalez and Scutaro are steady, bottom of the lineup players, not difference makers. The Phillies would lose defense and leadoff potential with either of these two.

There are plenty of options after Reyes and Rollins, but the problem is that none of them are particularly good.

What Jimmy Still Brings and Why They Must Have Him

Jimmy Rollins is 32 years old and has battled various leg injuries over the past few seasons.

These are undoubtedly the issues that the Phillies will raise when the shortstop asks for a new five year deal.

It's true, Rollins is on the downside of his career and there are risks to locking him into a long-term contract.

However, these risks are outweighed by the problems the Phillies would face without him. 

Consider what Rollins still brings to the table.

Offensively, he will never approach the numbers of his MVP season, but that's OK.

Rollins still provides a nice combination of speed and pop to the lineup. In 2011 he hit 16 home runs and stole 30 bags.

He may have lost a step in range, but Rollins is still one of the slickest and most consistent defensive shortstops in the game.

In addition to the on-field production, Rollins brings charisma and leadership to the clubhouse.

Jimmy Rollins needs to finish his career in red pinstripes.