Wait, Ruben Amaro Jr. went to Stanford? The same man who is currently the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies? The same man who has made a flurry of moves this offseason that make even the most optimistic fan cringe with pessimism? The same man who decided signing Marlon Byrd for 2 years and $16 million was the first thing his team needed to do in order to compete in the NL East? Amaro didn't start off so poorly when he was named the general manager of the Phillies in 2009; he was responsible for bringing in Raúl Ibañez, who became a key contributor. The next year, he made an excellent deal and acquired Roy Halladay, a premier pitcher that fortified the rotation and instantly made them contenders. But he also extended Ryan Howard to the atrocious contract that is now hindering them significantly. And by 2012, the good situation Amaro had been placed in to start his tenure had disappeared. This is where Amaro began to falter.
He thought he had a team who could still compete, but it just wasn't the case. Yes, there were injuries, but there was also a lack of talent on the roster. The Phillies missed the playoffs, and Amaro was faced with a decision: would he bolster the roster for another run or accept that it was time to rebuild? Amaro chose to go for it one more time, and maybe it could have worked. But the "talent" he added included a mediocre Ben Revere, an aging Michael Young, and a fat Delmon Young. The team was so bad that it cost Charlie Manuel his job in August. As we inch closer and closer to the 2014 season, it is increasingly clear that Manuel wasn't the one who deserved to be fired. After signing the aging Byrd, Amaro set his sights on another aging player, resigning catcher Carlos Ruiz to a 3 year deal for $26 million. The contract was mind-boggling to say the least. It makes Ruiz the fourth highest paid catcher in baseball, despite coming off a poor season where he hit just 5 home runs in 310 at bats. Did I mention he plays half his games in the boom box that is Citizens Bank Park? To make matters worse, Ruiz will already be 35 when the 2014 season begins, making it even less likely he can bounce back and earn the ridiculous amount of money he is being given over the next 3 years. Interestingly, both Byrd and Ruiz have been previously suspended for using banned substances, which brings my confidence level that they can match what they did in previous years to a stunning -1000%. To cap things off, Amaro signed Roberto Hernandez (aka the pitcher previously known as Fausto Carmona) to a 1 year deal with a $4.5 million base salary plus incentives. Hernandez hasn't had a good season since 2007 and he will now be pitching in a more hitter friendly park. While this move isn't nearly as bad as the other two, the combination of all three make little sense.
Do the Phillies think they can contend this year? And if so, why are they signing poor players to poor contracts? What makes this even more interesting are the rumors that they are shopping Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. If you really are trying to contend, shouldn't you want your two best starting pitchers to remain on the roster? While Amaro dismissed the rumors at silly, the only thing that is silly at this point are the moves he has made. Give credit to Amaro for realizing signing Jonathan Papelbon was a mistake and putting him on the trading block. Actually, don't. "Ruin Tomorrow Jr." shouldn't have made that acquisition in the first place.
"You Shocked Aditya Didn't Write This?"
ReplyDeleteyes i was LOL