SS Jimmy Rollins
Rollins was a former valedictorian who just didn’t pass the test on the South Side.
Brought in late in the offseason as a lottery ticket signing, he quickly became a sunk cost. Rollins had an anemic bat. While the approach remained strong, his stick was sapped of any pop and he didn’t walk enough to post an OBP above .300.
The switch hitter was dismal against right handers and he was far from the elite defender of the past. At 37 years-old the bar wasn’t set very high and ultimately Rollins did as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. There in lies the true problem.
A .221/.295/.329 line isn’t going to earn any gold stars. Rollins hit second for most of his time in Chicago which tells you exactly why his manager isn’t in school anymore either.
In any event, Rollins was a seasoned senior who was more than happy to help his mentee find his locker. Anderson is very thankful.