Some optimism about Rollins

There was a lot more optimism flowing from the Phillies' camp today, much of it stemming from a late-night meeting that Ruben Amaro Jr. had with Dan Lozano, the agent for shortstop Jimmy Rollins. While Amaro declined to discuss specifics, he sounded more upbeat about the situation than yesterday, when the Phillies reportedly started thinking seriously about their other options.

Charlie Manuel was the most optimistic. Asked to gauge the odds of Rollins returning, the manager replied, "I think there's a big chance Jimmy is going to be back with us. I think it's going to get done. Right now, that's our A Plan."

Manuel said he talked to Rollins a week ago when both were in Philadelphia for Phillies events.

"We talked about a lot of things," Manuel said.

While there might not be any tangible progress between the two sides, there is a lot better vibe about the situation coming from the club.

"Jimmy has every right to feel prideful about what he has done in his career and what his impact has been upon our club," Amaro said. "I absolutely understand that he feels he has great worth, and he should feel that way. It's just a matter of us getting to the right place where we think the worth is the same."