In a deal that's been widely anticipated for some time, the Phillies and Jimmy Rollins are extending their professional relationship well into this decade. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick:

The Philadelphia Phillies have reached agreement with shortstop Jimmy Rollins on a three-year contract with a vesting option for a fourth year, according to a baseball source.

 

With completion of the deal, Rollins will stay with the organization that has been his baseball home since 1996, when the Phillies selected him in the second round of the amateur draft.

We can't really evaluate this deal completely until we've got the dollars, but the Phillies need a shortstop in 2012 and Rollins, even at 33, is still a good one. At this point he's essentially a league-average hitter and a league-average fielder, which makes him a pretty valuable player when he's healthy enough to play.

And Rollins has been durable, with the exception of 2010.

This contract might not look so great in 2015 and/or '16. But in the short term, the Phillies once again seem well-positioned to win the National League East.