The day after the Phillies held a press conference announcing that shortstop Jimmy Rollins was returning to Philadelphia, the team returned another old face to the franchise - former general manager Ed Wade.
Yes, Ed Wade. Not a fan favorite when he was fired by the Phillies in 2005, Wade received credit from then general manager Pat Gillick in 2008 for helping turn the Phillies from also-rans to World Series contenders. Indeed, the press release announcing that Wade was rejoining the Phillies as special consultant to the Baseball Operations department stated that "during his time as GM in Philadelphia, Wade acquired players such as Jim Thome, Shane Victorino and Billy Wagner through free agency, the Rule 5 draft and trade, respectively, while the June amateur drafts under him produced Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Brett Myers, all of whom were contributors on the 2008 World Series championship team." He also brought manager Charlie Manuel on board.
You can't argue with that.
Wade, 55, served as general manager for parts of 13 years for both the Phillies (1998-2005) and the Houston Astros (2007-11), where his teams combined for a record of 942-1,010 (.483). In his final five seasons as Phillies GM, the team went 426-383 (.527), the sixth-best record in the National League in that span. The Astros, who hired Wade as general manager in September 2007 fired him after the 2011 season. The Astros, under new ownership, finished last in the NL Central with a 56-106 record. The Phillies won the NL East with a 102-60 mark so Wade is really stepping up in class.
During his time as Astros GM, Wade and the Phillies were involved in three separate deals. The Phillies acquired Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence from Houston as Wade hoped to rebuild the Astros with prospects.
"Ed had a very positive impact on the success we had in 2008 and his experience and knowledge will be a solid addition to what I feel is as good a baseball operations staff as there is in the game," said GM Ruben Amaro Jr. in the press release. In his new role with the Phillies, Wade will assist in salary arbitration consultation, while also scouting at both the major and minor league levels.
As for Rollins - if you missed the details of the deal - the 33-year-old infielder, who is the longest-tenured professional athlete in Philadelphia, signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Phillies. The contract includes a vesting option for 2015 at $11 million that, if not vested, could be a club option at $8 million or a player option at $5 million. Rollins, who became a free agent at the end of the 2011 season, originally said he was seeking a five-year deal. However, the lure of returning to Philadelphia and another shot at a World Series title changed his mind.
This past season, Rollins batted .268 with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 142 games. Defensively, Rollins finished with the second-best fielding percentage (.988) among NL shortstops, committing just seven errors. With runners in scoring position, he batted .322, including .400 from June 9 through the end of the season.
“Jimmy has been an integral part of this franchise’s recent success and is arguably the best shortstop in club history,” said Amaro in a Phillies press release. “He also stands to be one of the Phillies’ all-time greatest players. This contract ensures that he will be with us at a time when we hope to continue this recent run of division titles. Jimmy clearly gives us the best chance to bring a World Series title back to Philadelphia and we are looking forward to the next several years with him at his home at the shortstop position.”
*** The Phillies have released the DVD of the 2011 season, "Making History." The "Video Yearbook" contains over an hour and a half of bonus footage, including the ceremonies honoring Pat Gillick, Harry Kalas and John Kruk.
"Making History" is available at phillies.com and through the Official Phillies Merchandise Catalog at 1-877-GO-PHILS. The DVD will also be sold at the Majestic Clubhouse Store at Citizens Bank Park as part of the Phillies 12 Days of Christmas event. Cost is $17.99.
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