Ruben Amaro Jr. continues to have a firm grasp on reality, via Jon Heyman:

Interestingly, the Phillies did engage the Yankees in trade talks involving Rollins before New York acquired Didi Gregorius to play shortstop. So apparently Rollins may have been willing to consider accepting a trade to the Yankees. …

Those talks didn’t go very far when the Phillies asked the Yankees for one of their best prospects, believed to be pitcher Luis Severino or power hitter Aaron Judge, for Rollins. The Phillies said they didn’t do the Yankees trade because the Yankees only offered a “utility player,” though it isn’t known who that is.

Rollins, of course, is 57 36 years old and has been – at best – a replacement level player since his MVP season of 2007. He has one-year left on his contract (at $11 million), so you’re not trading the farm for Jimmy Rollins. Or even a steer. Maybe a couple of chickens and a pail of slop.

As Pinstripe Alley reminds us, Amaro’s asking price for Marlon Byrd was ridiculously ridiculous as well.

Meanwhile, Ball Eight has exclusively obtained Amaro’s original trade demands with the Yankees (click to embiggen):

Seems right.

Update: Phillies President Pat Gillick gave Ruben Amaro Jr. a vote of confidence Monday at the Winter Meetings, via CSN Philly:

“Ruben didn’t all of a sudden get dumb,” Gillick added. “People don’t want to hear this, but there were five years from 2007 to 2011 and the last year in 2011 we won 102 games. He didn’t all of a sudden get stupid the last three years. There were just a lot of factors to factor in there. And it isn’t what you’ve done in the past, it’s what are you doing for us now. And we haven’t done anything the last three years.

“But as far as him getting a brain cramp or something — it hasn’t happened. I have confidence in him. I’ve got his back.”

Is Gillick saying his general manager has always been dumb? Or that it has happened gradually?