[_Sir_Charles_]

From Sheldon:

Scott Rolen has decided not to return to the Reds for this season, the club announced Tuesday afternoon.

“Scott made significant contributions to our team’s recent success, and it isn’t a coincidence we made the playoffs in two of his three full seasons here,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said in a statement. “He made a huge impact in Cincinnati with his work ethic and leadership on the field, in the clubhouse and in our community.”…

Rolen also issued a statement through the team: “Right now I’m simply not ready to make a commitment. I would like to leave my options open, without closing any doors. I am looking forward to all of the challenges, both personally and professionally, I will face in the future.”

Rolen, who will turn 38 on April 4, batted .245 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 92 games last season. He missed 34 games with a left shoulder injury and several more with back problems. He earned $6.5 million in 2012 in the final season of a three-year contract and was widely expected to retire.

The Reds had in essence already moved on from Rolen by naming Todd Frazier as the everyday third baseman early in the off-season. The club also signed free agent Jack Hannahan as a backup third baseman and infielder.