Spring is in the air with Major League Baseball teams reporting to spring training. The Chicago White Sox signed veteran infielder Jimmy Rollins to a Minor League contract. The deal includes an invitation to spring training. Rollins will have a chance to compete against Tyler Saladino for the White Sox starting shortstop position. What could the White Sox have with Jimmy Rollins?
Rollins is an experienced player with 16 Major League seasons under his belt. He suited up for two teams, the Philadelphia Phillies and the L.A. Dodgers. Rollins is not a power hitter with a total of 229 home runs in his career. Rollins is still able to move his teammates around the bases. Last season he hit .224, his lowest ever. Even with this poor showing, he made contact with the ball so that his teammates could move into scoring position. If Rollins gets on base he steals bases so that he can be in scoring position. He has stolen a total of 465 bases and has only been caught 103 times. Rollins is a career .265 hitter.
Rollins makes his money with his glove and arm. When a groundball comes his way, he rarely miss plays it and seldom makes any errors throwing the ball to first base. For his play he has earned 4 Gold Gloves.
With this contract though, Rollins will have to prove that he can still compete at a high level. If he performs poorly he won’t make the team. This is not only a tryout for the White Sox but for the rest of Major League Baseball. If Rollins plays well but doesn’t earn a spot, it is possible that another team looking for a shortstop could like what they see and will want him on their team. With his experience he has the inside track of winning the starting shortstop role for Chicago.
What do you think the chances are that Rollins makes the White Sox?
Thanks for the Chicago prospective.