Aaron Rowand is now officially a San Francisco Giant, and it will only cost them $60 million over the next 5 years. I'm disappointed that Rowand didn't come back because I liked the hustle and fire he showed every game, but I'm not too distraught over seeing him leave.
Here's the bottom line: You don't hand $60 million to a 30-year-old centerfielder coming off just his second good season in the last four years. Rowand's numbers were pretty pathetic in 2005 and 2006 (combined .267 average, 25 homers, 116 RBIs) but then magically in a contract year, he batted .309 with 27 homers and 89 RBIs.
Will the Phillies miss Rowand's numbers from 2007? Of course they will, but Rowand wasn't going to provide that punch with a repeat performance in 2008, and he certainly won't do it consistently through 2012!
In addition, despite his Gold Glove award this year (and for anyone who needs proof that the Gold Glove is meaningless, Bobby Abreu has won the award despite cowering in fear of the right field wall), Rowand's defense is getting worse, and he has the tendency to forget that he's slower than he once was. Flyballs that were caught in 2004 and should have been singles in 2007 were turned into triples when he dove and missed. If you want proof that he's getting slower, look at his stolen base numbers the last four years: 17, 16, 10, 6. Those 6 steals in 2007 came despite having the highest on-base percentage of his career.
So how do the Phightins replace Rowand's production? Go sign Pedro Feliz! He's a 3B who hit 20-22 homers each of the last four seasons in a pitcher's park, and he committed just 11 errors last year at the hot corner, which means he won't need to be replaced in the late innings. That would mean a lefty/righty platoon of Greg Dobbs and Jayson Werth in right field, which should provide the comparable power numbers as Rowand's 2007 performance.

....Go Phillies!