Grading Ruben Amaro Jr.’s 25 Biggest Offseason Moves as Phillies GM

No one is ever going to accuse a general manager of a Major League Baseball team of having an easy job, namely because when someone needs to shoulder the blame (or reap the benefits), it falls on the guy who is responsible for putting the team together. 

As with any position with an ounce of power and responsibility, when things go well, you’re a great general manager. When things go wrong, it’s all your fault. 

Ruben Amaro Jr. is a man who has experienced both ends of the spectrum as the GM of the Philadelphia Phillies. He took over following a World Series title in 2008 and missed the postseason in one of the team’s most highly anticipated seasons in 2012. 

Now, with an aging core and few prospects ready to step up as reinforcements, Amaro has his work cut out for him this offseason. With several holes to fill and limited resources, he’ll need to be both smart and savvy. 

Is he up to the task? One way to find out is to take a look back at his offseason history. Amaro has a long history of offseason moves with the Phillies and now, it’s time to slap a grade on them. 

Each move will be graded on the following attributes: Performance and contract. 

That’s it. Did Amaro get the perfect amount of bang for his buck? Let’s take a look.

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4 Reasons Philadelphia Phillies Fans Hate the Atlanta Braves

Expecting the New York Mets, were you? Not this time.

When the average Philadelphia Phillies fan thinks of the baseball team they despise the most, the team that usually comes to mind if the New York Mets, and rightfully so. They won two World Series before the Phillies won their first despite being a younger franchise. For years they were a better team, and in Philadelphia that does not resonate well with fans.

However, it’s been at least a good six or seven years since the Mets were competitive, and at least from what I’ve seen, some of that rivalry has died off. Well, from Philadelphia’s perspective, anyway. Chances are that Mets fans aren’t so high on the Phillies right now since they single-handedly prevented the Mets from making the playoffs in 2007 and 2008.

Since the Atlanta Braves have made a resurgence a few years back, they have competed neck-and-neck with the Phillies for the NL East crown. Granted, the Phillies did not create that opportunity for themselves in 2013, but in the two or three seasons before that, it’s been the Braves who have caused problems for the Phillies.

Here’s four reasons why Phillies fans hate the Braves.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Reasons They Can Compete—and Win—in 2013

The Phillies continue to be linked to numerous prominent free agent center fielders (per mlbtraderumors.com) as the hot stove begins to take on that familiar orange glow.

It would be wonderful if the Phillies’ problems were so easy to solve that one big-money free agent signing would catapult them back into playoff contention. Sadly, the Phillies have many more holes to fill than just center field. 

They need another outfielder, a third baseman, bullpen arms to ferry games from Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee to Jonathan Papelbon and, depending on Freddy Galvis’ health, possibly a utility infielder. Also, it would help if any of the hitters they sign could hit from the right side.

On a happier note, Darin Ruf hit .258 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI through 32 Venezualan Fall League games. Perhaps left field is not as great a concern as previously believed.

The better news is that the Phillies will not need Ruf to hit 40-plus home runs in 2013 to contend. What follows are the reasons why.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Who Should Be the Starting Third Baseman?

The Philadelphia Phillies have a tough decision when it comes to third base. Will the team build from within or test the free market?

And no—the team will not trade for a third baseman.

The main focus this offseason has been center field and rightly so. The outfield talent swimming in the free-agent waters far outweighs the limited third base talent attempting not to drown—it just so happens the Phillies are in desperate need of a center fielder.

But are the Phillies desperate at third base?

Earlier this month, the team avoided arbitration by signing last year’s second-half starter, Kevin Frandsen, to a one-year deal. Frandsen compiled a nice season, ending with a .338 batting average and .383 OBP—yet only two home runs and 14 RBI. He was average, at best, in the field.

Does this warrant a starting spot next season?

Maybe.

First, let’s look at the third base talent the Phillies could realistically pursue.

Kevin Youkilis, Eric Chavez, Marco Scutaro or Jeff Keppinger—not the most exciting list of ball players.

Let’s get Keppinger out the way. He is basically Kevin Frandsen with a few more years of experience. Granted Kepp is the better fielder, it would be a lateral move for the Phillies. In other words, he’s a waste of money. 

Marco Scutaro has developed into a solid ball player and adding a World Series championship to his resume makes him worth that much more. He’s always been a consistent, average, utility-type player, but his past two seasons have been above average. 

Scutaro, 37, will be looking for larger dollars and longer years. The Phillies would be getting a solid player, but not a long-term investment. More than likely, he re-signs with the Giants.

Eric Chavez is far too risky of a signing. The veteran third baseman enjoyed a nice comeback season, but who knows if he can repeat the performance. The last time Chavez played in 100-plus games was back in 2006. Injuries have slowed his once promising career, and the Phillies would be overpaying him this offseason.

This leaves the only free-agent third baseman left on the table—Kevin Youkilis.

Youk’s play has declined over recent seasons, but he still remains an above-average player. He is a patient, right-handed power hitter, who could be inserted nicely in the Phillies lineup. Youk would also serve as the reserve first baseman, behind Ryan Howard.

The issue with Youk is he wants a multi-year contract, and the Phillies are hesitant.

Who could blame them?

With Cody Asche tearing up the minors and Freddy Galvis being groomed as the next best utility player, why would the Phillies sign the aging vet to a multi-year deal?

The Phillies executives need to determine if signing a free-agent—at the right price—is necessary to win a championship next season.

If the Phillies could ink Youkilis to a one-year deal, he would be the ideal choice for the club next season.

Otherwise, Kevin Frandsen is your Opening Day starter, and the Phillies will ride him, as far as he can go.

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Selecting the Philadelphia Phillies’ All-Time Free Agent Team

Signing a free agent isn’t easy. 

It’s a transaction process in Major League Baseball made out to look like a piece of cake. Have a team offer a player as much money as they can and hope that he signs on the dotted line, but it’s so much more than that. 

Free agency was designed, at it’s core, to give players options—rights. After accruing the necessary amount of service time, players are allowed to hit the open market and make a decision for themselves on where they want to play next. 

From a team perspective, it’s a bit different. Free agency becomes about retaining your own players and trying to better your club by making offers to others. It becomes a parade of why a given player should sign with your team; how they can make you better. 

Some people will make it out to be easy from time to time. It’s not. If any team knows this, it’s the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Free agency has not been kind to the Phillies in the past because while they have found some real keepers, free agency has broken their hearts more than once. 

So while Ruben Amaro Jr. and company attempts to restock the Phillies through the free agent market this winter, let us take a look at the past. I’ve assembled the Phillies all-time “free agent” team. 

That means that I have assembled a 25-man roster of players who signed exclusively as free agents. For the sake of fairness, this list will not include amateur free agents.

*All statistics refer to a player’s career with the Phillies only.

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Why Darin Ruf Won’t Start the 2013 Season in Philadelphia

Many fans are intrigued by the possibilities of what Darin Ruf could bring to the 2013 Phillies. 

Virtually an unknown prior to his breakout 2012 season, Ruf took the Eastern League by storm, bashing 38 home runs and driving in 105 runs.  With the Phillies lacking for a right-handed power bat ever since Jayson Werth left for D.C. millions, Ruf’s presence could change the entire dynamic of their lineup

In a brief September audition with the Phillies, he did not disappoint.  Despite getting only 33 at-bats Ruf showed the type of power and poise he demonstrated in Reading, and gave fans something to be excited about after a lackluster season.

With Ryan Howard and his massive contract entrenched at first base for the foreseeable future, Ruf is spending his offseason learning to play the outfield  If he’s successful, the Phillies may have found their left fielder for the next several seasons.

However, regardless of how well he learns to play the outfield or what type of potential Ruf brings, the chances of the Phillies making him their opening day left fielder next season are miniscule.  It might not be the right choice—he’s already 26 years old and has shown he can dominate minor league pitching—but it’s unlikely he will be anywhere other than Lehigh Valley next April.

Here’s why.

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5 Ways the Philadelphia Phillies Could Land B.J. Upton

After making the playoffs five years in a row from 2007-11, the Philadelphia Phillies missed out on the postseason in 2012, finishing 17 games back of the Washington Nationals. 

They’ll need to get healthy in the offseason and add a game-changing bat in the middle of the lineup. No, his name isn’t Josh Hamilton. 

It is B.J. Upton. 

He was recently tendered a one-year qualifying offer by the Tampa Bay Rays, so the Phillies would have to give up their first-round pick in order to sign him. 

After the Phillies were able to assemble their whole team, they were able to finish 35-24. 

With Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins all recovering from injuries, and the dominant pitching staff still intact, the Phillies have a chance to make the postseason again in 2013. 

All they’ll need is the defensive and offensive capabilities of B.J. Upton. 

In 2012, he hit 28 homers and stole 31 bases. His OBP was a bit low at .298, but he hadn’t had a season below .300 before this one. 

To put it in perspective, John Mayberry Jr.—the starter for Philadelphia down the stretch—hit 14 homers and slugged only .395. 

Not to mention he doesn’t have nearly the same range Upton does. 

It won’t be easy luring one of the top outfielders in the free-agent market, but here are five ways the Phillies can land him instead of Angel Pagan, Michael Bourn and Josh Hamilton. 

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Should the Philadelphia Phillies Trade Pitching to Fix Other Major Holes?

The Philadelphia Phillies have quite a few holes to fill on their roster before next season.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is looking for two outfielders—one of whom should be a center fielder, and probably a right-handed bat. The Phillies also need a third baseman and could use another reliever for their bullpen.

Amaro could address all of those needs on the free-agent market. Outfielders like Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton would fit well in the Philadelphia lineup. Kevin Youkilis would give the Phillies a suitable third baseman. And plenty of relievers are available to help shore up the corps of middle relievers. 

But that would get expensive. Big spending doesn’t fit into Amaro’s current plan, as he’s been quite public about getting the Phillies’ payroll underneath the $178 million luxury-tax threshold for 2013. Presumably, he wants the team under the $189 million luxury-tax limit for 2014 as well. 

To patch up every hole on his roster without incurring MLB‘s luxury tax, Amaro will probably have to make some trades to get what he needs. That would almost surely mean tapping into his team’s greatest strength: starting pitching. 

But does Amaro really want to do that? The trio of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels atop the Phillies rotation is what sets them apart from their NL East rivals. Starting pitching will likely be what pushes Philadelphia back into playoff and division-title contention next season. 

Though that part of the team is a strength, is there enough depth to use in trade? If the Phillies weaken their starting rotation yet bolster other parts of the roster, does that ultimately even out? Or would Amaro be making a mistake by undercutting the advantage he has over division and league rivals? 

The most tradeable commodity Amaro has is left-hander Cliff Lee. Plenty of teams checked in on him around the trade deadline this year, but it was never really clear whether or not the Phillies were looking to deal him away.

Amaro certainly had an opportunity to trade Lee to the Los Angeles Dodgers in early August. The Phillies put Lee on waivers, and the Dodgers won the claim for him.

Philadelphia could have either tried to work out a trade, though the Dodgers likely wouldn’t have given up much because they would have taken on up to $102.5 million remaining on Lee’s contract. Amaro could have also decided to just let Lee go on waivers, dumping his salary without getting anything in return. 

Instead, the Phillies held on to Lee. Perhaps Amaro never had an intention of trading Lee and wanted him to be a part of their rotation for 2013 and beyond. Or the Philadelphia GM figured he could find a far better deal with more time—and more teams—to negotiate with during the offseason. 

However, does that deal really exist?

Perhaps a trade with the Texas Rangers, built around third-base prospect Mike Olt and pitcher Martin Perez, would work for the Phillies. Then Amaro could get his outfielders in free agency. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks could be another possibility, with Justin Upton going to the Phillies and taking one of those corner outfield openings. But D-Backs owner Ken Kendrick was rather vocal about not wanting a pitcher on the wrong side of 30 years old who’s owed up to $100 million. 

Could the Colorado Rockies present another option? The Atlanta Braves have shown interest in center fielder Dexter Fowler. Why couldn’t the Phillies get in that mix, especially with the Rockies reportedly seeking pitching in return? The Braves probably have better arms to offer, however. 

Of course, the Dodgers are still out there. But does GM Ned Colletti really have anything the Phillies are looking for in return?

He dealt two of his best pitching prospects—Allen Webster and Nathan Eovaldi—in trades for Adrian Gonzalez (and others) and Hanley Ramirez. Would Colletti really want to trade any others when he can sign Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez or Ryu Hyun-jin? Andre Ethier could be included, but do the Phillies want another left-handed bat? 

The best argument for trading Lee to the Dodgers could be shedding his salary and using his $25 million salary for this season (and the next two, plus a team option) to help fill those holes in the outfield and at third base. 

Amaro also has some pitching prospects he could use in a deal. Trevor May, Jesse Biddle and Jonathan Pettibone are among the Phillies’ top four prospects, according to Baseball America. Could those young arms—along with pitchers with major league experience, like Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick—be used to get someone like Chase Headley from the San Diego Padres? 

But the Phillies need arms for the back end of their starting rotation as well. If Amaro deals away pitchers who could be the team’s fourth and fifth starters, who fills those roles next season? Isn’t trading talent for established veterans what got the Phillies into their current predicament?

Are such trades worth doing again if it gets Philadelphia back into playoff contention? Is dealing off some of the future the price that has to be paid for getting an outfielder or third baseman who could be a cornerstone player for years to come? 

What looks like a surplus can become a weakness quickly. The Phillies rotation doesn’t look nearly as imposing or competitive with the Braves or Washington Nationals in the NL East if they break up the Halladay-Lee-Hamels triumvirate. Amaro arguably has more holes to fill if he trades starting pitching away too.

Obviously, Amaro should explore every option available. But he is in the fortunate position of being able to take care of his team’s needs on the free-agent market this winter. The question is how much that might cost the Phillies. 

Another question might be how valuable a pitching staff is if the lineup can’t score any runs to help the team win. That’s the dilemma the Phillies and Amaro face this winter. 

 

Follow @iancass on Twitter

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Lance Berkman: Why Berkman Would Be a Bad Signing for the Philadelphia Phillies

Joseph Duarte of Ultimate Astros reported the Philadelphia Phillies have interest in free-agent veteran Lance Berkman, and the vet would only sign for the “right deal.”

The Phillies need to pass on any deal.

Berkman, 36, is ideally looking for a two-year deal with his next team and prefers batting third. If the Phillies are going to sign a multi-year contract, it should be with a younger, more talented player with the potential for many seasons.

The Phillies have specific needs this offseason, mainly center field, third base, relief pitching and reserve first baseman—the latter being the least important. Berkman’s only option in the field is first base, but his career as a fielder has passed. He is better suited in the American League as a DH.

The Phillies also have current options with John Mayberry Jr. or Darin Ruf, who could potentially play first base behind Ryan Howard. A signing of Kevin Youkilis would kill two birds with one stone—covering first and third. Signing Youk makes more sense than a limited, injury-prone Berkman.

Berkman did have a “fountain of youth”-type season two years ago, but knee surgery limited his play with the St. Louis Cardinals last season. 

All in all, this is far too risky of a signing for the Phillies.

Ruben Amaro Jr. needs to concentrate on filling center field with a stud, since it appears most of the elite outfield free agents will likely land in the NL East this upcoming season.

Berkman’s had a great career, and it may be time to hang the cleats and begin his coaching career at Rice University.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

5 Free-Agent Sluggers Who Could Fix Philadelphia Phillies’ Power Outage

Throughout the mid-to-late 2000s, the Philadelphia Phillies played long ball with the best of any team in Major League Baseball. Now, however, that power is starting to flicker.

In 2009, the Phillies hit 224 home runs when they returned to the World Series to defend their championship.

But in the last two seasons, the Phillies have hit just 311 home runs combined—153 in 2011 and 158 in 2012—finishing 18th in the league in both seasons.

It’s pretty telling when your shortstop—Jimmy Rollins—is your home-run leader with 23 and the second-place man—Hunter Pence with 17—left the team in late July.

Some of that missing power obviously has a lot to do with extended absences of both Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but they still need a little assistance.

Bob Brookover of Philly.com believes the answer is in the power, and re-energizing that power. That’s certainly hard to argue his point, especially with Citizens Bank Park being known as a hitters’ park.

So, just who could the Phillies look toward to find that power?

Let’s take a look.

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