Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Proposed Fixes GM Ruben Amaro Jr. Should Ignore
October 21, 2011 by Richard Elles
Filed under Fan News
With one resounding grounder to second base, the Philadelphia Phillies‘ dream season was stopped in its tracks and hurled into an extended winter filled with questions and uncertainty. Instead of hoisting the World Series trophy, the front office will be mired in the war room trying to find a way to get their hands back on it.
The Phillies were on track to win their third championship before being derailed by the Cinderella St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. Failures in situational hitting, baserunning and most surprisingly, starting pitching all led to the downfall of a team that won 102 games in the regular season.
Two weeks after watching Ryan Howard tumble out of the batter’s box and put an end to World Series hopes, there is little value in wondering what could have been for the five-time defending NL East champions. Philadelphia is now turning a blind eye to the final series in the Major League Baseball season and setting its sights on an offseason filled with intrigue.
How GM Ruben Amaro Jr. chooses to handle personnel over the next four months will go a long way toward determining the longevity of the team’s playoff window. With the bulk of their historic staff under contract heading into the 2012 season, there is reason for optimism among the gloom hanging over the city.
Tweaks, minor changes, adjustments—however you choose to describe what needs to be done to keep the Philadelphia Phillies in position to return to glory, it does not include a fire sale that would change the face of the franchise.
If fans are still bitter from the loss at home in Game 5, it would be wise to hold off before shipping away superstars or selling the farm to push the team over the top. The ballclub is still a talented bunch, a fact Amaro Jr. keeps in his back pocket heading into negotiations.
The Phillies GM still faces a tall task in the coming months and will have to answer for his decisions in a city that is always tough to please. Here are five moves that Philadelphia and its front office should look to avoid making before next season: