It took a while because the Dodgers needed to trade Matt Kemp to the Padres first, but now their deal to acquire Jimmy Rollins from the Phillies is also official.
Rollins, who waived his no-trade rights to facilitate a move after 15 seasons in Philadelphia, goes to Los Angeles in exchange for left-hander Tom Windle and right-hander Zach Eflin, the latter of whom was acquired from San Diego in the Kemp swap.
Rollins is 36 years old and not many shortstops have remained above-average players at that age, but his defensive numbers were strong in 2014 and he hit .243 with 17 homers and a .717 OPS to rank solidly above par for the position offensively. He’s obviously dropped off him his MVP-winning production in 2007, but Rollins ranked fourth among all MLB shortstops in Wins Above Replacement in 2014.
Windle was a 2013 second-round draft pick, but posted mediocre numbers as at high Single-A as a 23-year-old. Eflin was a first-rounder in 2012 and also spent this past season at high Single-A, although he was just 20 and held his own. It’s not a bad return for the Phillies considering Rollins is expensive, old, and entering the final year of his contract.
