Phightin' Phils Phorum

Amaro's Continues His Propaganda About the Lee Trade

Ruben Amaro continued his propaganda today about the Cliff Lee trade the Seattle Mariners as he was on Hot Stove on the MLB Network. He continued his sentiment about why he HAD to trade Lee because of the future. 

Yesterday Amaro spoke at the Philadelphia Sportswriters Association banquet saying, 'I'm not a dummy. I know what Cliff Lee means to our rotation in addition to Halladay and Hamels. It's a no-brainer.'

He went on to say, "We cannot be the New York Yankees. We have to have people that we can bring to the big leagues from our system. The guys who are our core players are guys from our system.”

 He then had the audacity to say, "Yes, I'd like to have a championship, but not at the cost of having our organization not be good for 10 years. Absolutely not. That's not the goal. The goal is to be a contender every year. And once you get to the World Series or get to the playoffs, it's really a matter of who's playing the best baseball, who's hottest, who has the karma."

Karma? Are your freakin' kidding me? Is that what it takes to win a championship? No, it takes starting pitching. it takes top notch talent. And sorry, it sometimes takes acting like the Yankees!

This whole public relations tour he is on is embarrassing. They traded Cliff Lee for nothing. Will Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, or J.C. Ramirez keep this team competitive four or five years from now? Will anyone even remember their names except as a punch line as to who we traded one of the team's best pitchers for? Probably not. Had Lee become a free agent the Phillies would have gotten 2 draft picks. A number 1 pick and a sandwich pick. They could have gotten just as good, if not better talent then a player that missed much of last year with a bad elbow in Aumont, a player that was looked over in the organization in Gillies, and a player that will probably be released inside of 2 years in Ramirez.

In addition, Charlie Manuel joined Amaro on the tour. After his initial comments disapproving of the trade, he must have been taken to the woodshed inside of David Montgomery's office and is now supporting Amaro's decision. We all know how Charlie really feels. Disgraceful!

Give me a break. I am just not buying all of Ruben Amaro's propaganda. He made a big mistake trading Lee and is now trying to justify it. When the Phillies lose the World Series because they have to start Joe Blanton against C.C. Sabathia in game 7, Amaro will be run out of town! 

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An Open Letter to Ruben Amaro Regarding Third Base in 2010.

Mr Amaro,

Thank you helping to bring championship caliber baseball back to Philadelphia. After much long suffering of bad teams, bad management, no player development, a cheap front office, and sitting by ourselves at games, you have managed to retake Philadelphia as one of the best baseball cities in the country. I am again proud to be a Phillies fan and I give you much of the credit.

 I would like to urge you think very carefully before signing or trading for a third baseman for the 2010 season. Much has been made of the team considering Mark DeRosa and Placido Polanco. While I am sure they will be the more affordable options, I am not sure they are the right options to make the team better. Neither are an upgrade from Pedro Feliz nor are they any younger. Team's that are committed to winning long term understand that you need to replace a veteran player before they really begin to decline. You have done that by not picking up Feliz's option. They also understand that signing or trading for a younger player keeps the nucleus of the team young and allows these younger players to develop into tomorrow's stars and October heros. DeRosa and Polanco do not fit this bill. 

Adrian Beltre appears to be the best fit for a free agent but, Mr. Amaro, you have proven yourself to be a shrewd deal maker with your trade for Cliff Lee. Stick to your guns and get us a younger better third baseman for 2010. If you can pull this off, the Phillies could have the best infield in all of baseball.

Thank you again Mr. Amaro for your commitment to winning. As a season ticket holder and avid fan I appreciate all of your efforts. I look forward to another World Series in 2010!

Sincerely,

Bill Zeltman

Gillick to Stay With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies had some good news as retired general manager Pat Gillick has agreed to stay on with the team in an advisory role. Gillick will advise Ruben Amaro and team president David Montgomery on baseball matters.

This is a huge piece for the Phillies as one of the best general managers in baseball history will keep his opinions in the Phillies organization. Hopefully Amaro will call Gillick frequently!

Amaro Begins Tenure, Arbuckle Moves On

Ruben Amaro Jr. began his tenure this morning as the Philadelphia Phillies new general manager in a 10:00am press conference. Amaro has been groomed by Ed Wade and Pat Gillick to take over this position. Phillies ownership believes the 43 year old Stanford graduate is ready to step into the shoes of future hall of famer Gillick.

Assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle was considered the only competition to succeed Gillick. Arbuckle resigned his position that he has held since 1992. This is a loss to the team as under Arbuckle's watch the team drafted stars like Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.

It is unknown if there will be any more departures. The Phillies budget is expected to increase from the $104 million mark of 2008. My next post will discuss the teams offseason needs.

Amaro New GM

Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News has learned that Ruben Amaro Jr has been named the Philadelphia Philllies new general manager. The announcement of 43 year old Amaro is expected Monday in the two horse race that included Amaro and assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle.

I am very unsure about this move and would prefer the Phillies have gone for someone with experience and a proven track record. Philadelphia is a big market and should have a big named GM, not someone that is unproven. Ruben Amaro may turn out to be a great general manager, but he also may not. Is that a risk we are willing to take. I hope that Pat Gillick can be retained as a senior advisor to the GM for Ruben to consult with.