Jimmy Rollins Officially Traded to the Dodgers

The Phillies have finally traded their longest-tenured player, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, to Los Angeles for a pair of minor-league pitching prospects.

More than a week after it was first reported, the trade is finally official: Jimmy Rollins has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies received two pitching prospects, righthander Zach Eflin and lefthander Tom Windle, in the deal.

The possible snag in the trade — a holdup in the deal where the Dodgers would trade Matt Kemp and other players to the Padres for Eflin — was completed last night.

“The Dodgers are very lucky to acquire a player like Jimmy,” Chase Utley said in a statement. “I’ve said it time and time again that Jimmy makes everyone around him better. The team will miss his leadership on the field and his infectious smile, but most of all, I will miss our pregame handshake.”

The pitchers the Phillies got are young. Eflin will turn 21 in April, and had a 3.80 ERA in the High-A minor leagues last year — where he was about three years younger than the average player. Windle is 22, and had a 4.80 ERA in High-A ball last season.