January 16, 2015
With spring training rapidly approaching, the Phillies have yet to unload any of their top earners - Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jonathan Papelbon - in an attempt to rid themselves of hefty contracts while acquiring prospects that could play a significant role in the team's future.
Two of those players, Howard and Papelbon, will likely be difficult to move without the Phillies being forced to pay some, if not most, of their bloated salaries.
However, the fact that Hamels, who remains the team's best trade asset, is still with the club suggests another problem entirely.
Have the Phillies - more specifically general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. - overvalued the 31-year-old lefty? And if so, is it because Amaro truly believes he can score a massive haul in a Hamels trade, or merely because he needs to do so to save his job?
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, it's probably a little of both:
A rival executive interested in Cole Hamels was puzzled by a recent conversation he had with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., wondering if Amaro truly intends to trade his prized left-hander.
The Phillies say they are open to moving Hamels for the right package. The problem, the rival exec speculated, is that Amaro wants to make the "perfect" deal -- and perhaps needs such a deal to keep his job.
Amaro is not alone in the Hamels talks; the Phillies' former GM, interim CEO Pat Gillick, also is involved in the discussions. The Phillies, though, are in something of a damned-if-they-do, damned-if-they-don't position.
They do not want to waste their biggest chip by making a questionable trade. But they also do not want to risk Hamels getting hurt by carrying him into the season -- remember, Hamels did not pitch until April 23 last year due to left biceps tendinitis. [via foxsports.com]
That's never a good place for the general manager of your favorite team to be in, deciding between what's best for the long-term future of your franchise and what's least likely to get him fired.
And it's not like the Phillies are short on potential trade partners for Hamels. According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Red Sox, Cardinals, Rangers, and Padres are all interested in acquiring Hamels, who is scheduled to make $96 million over the next four years.
So why hasn't there been any movement?
Max Scherzer remains a free agent, as does James Shields. Perhaps rival GMs are waiting to see where those two starters land, and at what price, before going hard after Hamels. Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman is also reportedly on the trade block, further complicating things.
With those guys still available, teams interested in Hamels can low-ball the Phillies, saying they'll take their business elsewhere. Once Scherzer and Shields are off the market, teams may become a little more willing to deal their top prospects for the former World Series MVP.
But Rosenthal's original point is still an interesting one. What if Amaro is afraid to get burnt again, like when he traded Cliff Lee to the Mariners for three prospects that haven't yet had a positive impact on the big league club? If his job is truly on the line, perhaps that's the reason his demands are so unreasonable.
Rob Bradford of WEEI.com in Boston cites a source who says Amaro and the Phillies have been “unrealistic in their expectations.” Fans should like that Amaro won't take just any prospect in return for the team's best player, but if his motives for being so "unrealistic" in his demands are self-serving, that's a bigger problem.
If the Phillies are truly dedicated to a rebuild, they need to act that way and start moving assets before it's too late. Otherwise, the organization will continue doing the same thing over and over again, while hoping for different results.
Isn't there a word for that?
