Rumors And Other Tid Bits

A few ex-Phillies have been in the news lately.

Johnny Estrada was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the New York Mets yesterday. The move means Estrada will be playing for his fifth team since beginning his big league career in Philadelphia in 2001. It says something about him that he has moved so often but I cannot say exactly what! Suffice it to say quality catchers do not move around much as a rule so something that doesn't meet the eye is at work here. Oh, and by the way, he will be eligible for arbitration after next year and can become a free agent. He has a long way to go to catch the peripatetic Kenny Lofton, but he's also a lot younger.

Meanwhile, rumors have the Phillies showing interest in Randy Wolf, who is recovering from "minor" shoulder surgery after recovering from major Tommy John surgery a year and a half earlier. That's one too many surgeries in my humble opinion. Frankly, Wolf would better suit the Phils as a fifth outfielder. The guy can hit. Regrettably, he cannot pitch all that well any longer and as a flyball pitcher is ill-suited to Citizens Bank Park. Even if they get him for a song, the Phils would be better off spending the money elsewhere.

Finally, rumors, however unsubstantiated, that the Phils might be interested in reacquiring Scott Rolen are absolutely ludicrous. In the first place, this guy loathed playing here. In the second place, he is a shadow of his former self. And in the final analysis, he loathed playing here.

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One final word on Jimmy Rollins for now. If you haven't had a chance to listen to the full interview with him on MLB's site (among others) after he won the MVP, get a nice cup of coffee and plant yourself in front of your computer for the 25 minutes more or less that the interview runs. There have always been a lot of reasons to like Jimmy the person, but this interview, the lengthiest I've ever heard with him, underscores how generous of spirit and how supportive of his teammates Rollins is. He is the complete package: admirable human being and wonderfully talented professional athlete.