Jimmy Rollins, who recently became the Philadelphia Phillies' all-time hits leader, said that he is now open to playing elsewhere, creating speculations that the veteran shortstop will be moved this season.
According to reports, the Detroit Tigers might be interested in Rollins as they are looking to address their glaring need at the shortstop position in hopes of improving their World Series chances this season.
Rollins, who is hitting .247 with eight homeruns and 26 RBIs this season, is an intriguing option, considering the fact that he could immediately provide hitting prowess and could be a solid locker room presence for the Tigers.
However, the Tigers are reportedly not yet ready to rock the boat as they are still convince that their current shortstop option is enough.
According John Morosi of Fox Sports, the Tigers are unlikely to express interest in Rollins at this point because they are impressed with Eugenio Suarez, who is batting .346/.452/.808 this season with three home runs.
FanSided reported, though, that the Tigers could make a sudden U-turn, considering the fact that their top executives have high expectations this season.
"Suarez has been great so far, bringing a hot bat to Detroit's lineup immediately," FanSided reported. "Through 10 games he is batting .346/.452/.808 with three home runs and six driven in. If he keeps that up, great for the Tigers. But for a team with World Series expectations, here's betting that their patience will be short and that their stance will change quickly if necessary."
And as for the Phillies, Rollins' recent statement gave them a sigh of relief in terms of their plan to start rebuilding the team.
The Phillies have made numerous attempts to trade Rollins since the offseason, but the 15-year veteran has been vetoing any deal using his no-trade clause as he is aiming to become the Phillies all-time hits leader.
But after breaking Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt's record when he recorded his 2,235th career hit on Saturday, the 35-year-old shortstop said that he will waive his no-trade clause "if everything is blown up" as he is not interested in playing for a rebuilding team.
"It really depends if everything is blown up," Rollins said via ESPN. "Then you take that into consideration. If they blow everything up, then of course."
