Phillies trade rumors: Jimmy Rollins wants to stay, but outfielders may be on the move

Despite some rumors that Phillies' shortstop Jimmy Rollins would be willing to waive his no-trade clause after breaking the franchise's all-time hits record, it seems as though he's more likely to stay in Philadelphia through the trade deadline. Over the weekend, Rollins told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he has "never honestly thought about waiving [his] no-trade clause" and that he's "not going to volunteer to go anywhere".

Rollins also mentioned that if the Phillies make it clear that he's no longer welcome, he would be willing to leave and help out one of the many contenders who are looking for help at the shortstop position. The 35-year old is hitting .244 with 8 HR and 29 RBI on the season, and will likely be under team control through next season as the result of a vesting option.

The Phillies, who have surprised some by staying within striking distance in the NL East so far this season, have not declared that they are going to be sellers at the deadline, meaning that a Rollins trade may be unlikely regardless of his thinking. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo and Jonathan Papelbon have been mentioned as potential trade candidates as well, but the real value for the Phillies could be found in moving their outfielders.

As Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reported last week, the Yankees and Red Sox have both expressed interest in outfielder John Mayberry Jr., who has struggled offensively a bit this season but could provide versatility for a contender looking for outfield help. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that Marlon Byrd and Ben Revere are available in trade talks as well, meaning that the Phillies could look to move multiple outfielders for younger pieces if they feel that they have fallen completely out of contention.

At this point, the Phillies have Byrd, Revere and Dominic Brown as their starting outfielders, with Mayberry and Tony Gwynn Jr. serving as backups. The team reportedly has expressed interest in free agent Grady Sizemore, meaning that they could be looking to ship one of their outfielders elsewhere and replace them with Sizemore.