"It's about numbers. Statistics. Money. Years on the contract. They're all important numbers. But in the end, the biggest numbers – the ones that might determine whether Jimmy Rollins returns to Philly or waves goodbye – might be on his birth certificate.

The ever-awkward negotiation process between the player and the team – part expression of mutual love and respect, part bitter divorce proceeding – officially began for Rollins on Tuesday at a press conference at Citizens Bank Park. Rollins was candid about approaching free agency as a "businessman," and even discussed the possibility of a potential "bidding war" for his services. None of that was surprising or untoward. It is how these things go. "