Rollins rejoins Phils as special adviser

The Phillies made a move on Tuesday afternoon.

No, it wasn’t the acquisition of superstar Bryce Harper as some had speculated. But they did bring a former MVP back into the fold.

The team announced Jimmy Rollins has rejoined the organization as a special adviser with duties on both the baseball and business side, including spring training, meeting with sponsors and fan engagement.

Nicknamed J-Roll, Rollins played the first 15 of his 17 big league seasons with the Phillies where he is the club’s all-time leader in hits (2,306) and doubles (479).

He famously boasted the Phillies were the “team to beat” before the 2007 season and then went and backed it up with an MVP season as the Phils rallied from a seven-game deficit with 17 to play to nip the Mets for the NL East title. The Phillies went on to win five consecutive division titles from 2007-11, two NL pennants and the 2008 World Series.

Rollins presents an interesting Hall of Fame case. His 2007 MVP year was arguably the best ever for a shortstop when he slashed .296/.344/.531 with 30 homers, 38 doubles, 20 triples, 94 RBIs and 41 stolen bases while playing in all 162 games.

He’s also one of 10 players in baseball history to have at least 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases. Others in that group include Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Joe Morgan.