Phillies Trade Jimmy Rollins To Dodgers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Phillies have traded shortstop Jimmy Rollins and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for right-hander Zach Eflin and left-hander Tom Windle, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.
Rollins, 36, was the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia after making his major league debut on September 17, 2000. This past season he batted .243 with 22 doubles, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 28 stolen bases and a career-high 64 walks for the Phillies, while leading all major league shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage.
Having started 14 consecutive Opening Days (2001-14) for the team, Rollins is the Phillies' all-time leader in hits (2,306) and doubles (479) and ranks second in games played (2,090), extra-base hits (806), stolen bases (453) and total bases (3,655).
During his tenure with the Phillies, Rollins was a three-time National League All-Star (2001-02; 2005), a Silver Slugger winner (2007), a three-time Gold Glove winner (2007-09) and was selected to represent the United States in two World Baseball Classics (2009 & 2013). He won the NL MVP Award in 2007 after hitting .296 with 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs, 94 RBI and 41 stolen bases, becoming just the seventh NL shortstop in history to win the award.
"Jimmy is both an iconic player and person whom I have had the great joy of watching grow up in this game and this city," said Amaro. "His contributions to the franchise and to Philadelphia are unparalleled and I wish him the best in Los Angeles. This transaction is one that I believe benefits both Jimmy and the Phillies."
Rollins, a member of the 2008 World Series Champions and five consecutive NL East Division winners (2007-11), was originally selected by the Phillies in the second round of the June 1996 draft.
At 20 years old, Eflin went 10-7 with a 3.80 ERA in 24 starts for single-A Lake Elsinore, including a 3.06 ERA in 22 of the 24 starts. In 2013, his first full season of professional baseball, he led the Midwest League with a 2.73 ERA. Eflin was the 33rd overall selection by the San Diego Padres in the 2012 draft.
Windle, 22, went 12-8 with a 4.26 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) for single-A Rancho Cucamonga this past season. He was a second-round selection by the Dodgers in the 2013 draft out of the University of Minnesota.
Amaro continued, "We are very happy to add two top-tier starting pitching prospects who we believe will impact our major league club in the near future. This deal is clearly geared to continue the process of building for perennial future success."
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