5 Signs You Shouldn't Trust Ruben Amaro Jr. as Phillies GM

Ruben Amaro, Jr., of the Philadelphia Phillies has had his work cut out for him since day one of his tenure as the team’s general manager.

When Amaro was named as the Phillies’ general manager, he was not only filling the shoes of former GM Pat Gillick, but also inheriting a roster that had just won a World Series title.

No pressure.

Since taking over as GM, Amaro has witnessed the Phillies’ payroll increase from approximately $104 million in 2008 to approximately $174 million this season.

To his credit, Amaro has never seen the Phillies finish out of first place in the NL East while serving as GM, and he has brought players such as Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee (twice), Roy Oswalt, Hunter Pence and Jonathan Papelbon to Philadelphia.

To his discredit, he has also traded over 10 prospects in recent seasons and is currently watching the Phils, with the second highest payroll in the major leagues, fight their way out of the bottom of the NL East.

Amaro has consistently given the Phillies a chance at reaching the World Series each season.

But that doesn’t mean he should always be trusted.

Cliff Lee Transactions

Lee was acquired by Amaro and the Phillies in a midseason trade in 2009 and wound up going 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in the postseason.

Two months later, Amaro traded him to Seattle.

Few players have won over Phillies’ fans as quickly as Lee did during the 2009 season.  However, when Amaro acquired Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays, he subsequently sent Lee to the Mariners in a deal that caught many by surprise.

Whether it was because he was trying to keep the team’s payroll from skyrocketing at the time, or because he thought Lee would eventually leave as a free agent, Amaro’s trading of Lee was an unexpected move for both the fans and the pitcher.

If a player who goes 2-0 with 13 strikeouts in 16 innings in the World Series can be traded less than two months later, it could be difficult for any player to feel comfortable.

Of course, Amaro continued the unexpected transactions involving Lee prior to last season.

After it seemingly came down to the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees as destinations for Lee, Amaro and the Phils swooped in and signed the free agent fresh off his second straight World Series appearance.

Any GM who is able to trade a World Series star a few months later and then keep a contract offer worth over $100 million under wraps for a chunk of the offseason should not be trusted.

Although, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Making Moves After Saying There Will Not Be Any Major Moves

A baseball GM cannot simply tell the fans and the media about every trade that the team currently has in the works.

However, Amaro has, in the past, either denied that the Phils would make a deal or mentioned other areas than what the team may actually have been targeting.

In an article by Todd Zolecki that appeared on the Phillies’ website in November of 2009, the following passage was provided:

"

“More specifically, our need at third base and in our bullpen,” Amaro said Monday night in a telephone interview.  “Those two areas are our priorities.”

"

Although the Phillies did sign third baseman Placido Polanco, they also acquired Halladay and traded Lee during that same offseason, two elite starting pitchers.

And then there’s last season’s trade deadline.

In an article by Jim Salisbury that appeared on CSNPhilly.com in June of 2011, Amaro was quoted on any potential upgrades that the Phils might make to their roster:

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You will not see a major move this year. I don’t think we need it.  Right now, I’m happy with the guys we’ve got and I’m hoping they get us to the dance.  This is a good team that is not playing as good as it is.

"

Fifty-one days after this quote appeared, the Phils acquired Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros.

Amaro does not have to provide any hints as to potential Phillies’ moves.

But quotes like these make it difficult to even guess as to what he’s planning.

Status of Injured Players

This season, the Phillies have seen players such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, Jim Thome, Vance Worley and Cliff Lee either spend time, or currently remain, on the disabled list.

But what adds to these injuries are the updates that Amaro has given for the possible return of these players, or the status of their injuries.

Utley, whose injury was essentially unknown until spring training this year, has yet to play this season.

Of course, an article by Todd Zolecki from early March that appeared on the Phillies’ website shows that Amaro did not give many hints as to Utley’s prolonged absence. The GM said:

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We talked about him not playing for the first week or two weeks. We’re going to ease him into it. We know he’ll be ready when the bell rings. We just want to make sure he’s as fresh and as healthy as he can possibly be on Opening Day.

"

Meanwhile, Howard’s return date has seemingly continued to be pushed back by Amaro.  Some fans may have hoped that Howard could be back by Opening Day, or soon after.

Similar to Utley, Howard has yet to play this season.

Although Amaro may not have to provide any updates or timetables for the returns of injured players, the ones he has given lately have been far from accurate.

Smoke Screens

Although a baseball GM sending out smoke screens at the trade deadline or in the offseason is not a rare practice, Amaro’s track record makes it a little more difficult to see through the smoke.

While Amaro has flown under the radar while attempting to sign players such as Lee, he has also had negotiations that have attracted attention, such as with Ryan Madson last offseason.

Although Madson’s return to the Phils did not seem to be out of the picture, Amaro eventually signed closer Jonathan Papelbon, instead.

Rumblings during past trade deadlines and winter meetings have connected the Phils to a number of big-name players who were available either through trades or free agency.

GMs across the league may do their due diligence when checking on certain players.

But given Amaro’s recent track record, Phillies fans can never be fully sure as to what he has up his sleeve.

Comments on Team as a Potential Seller

If Amaro says that the Phillies will not make a major trade, and then later the team makes one, what do his comments from last month mean?

In an article by Jim Salisbury last month on CSNPhilly.com, Amaro explained how the team could potentially be sellers at the trade deadline.

Although the Phils still have time to improve on their standing in the NL East, any lack of trust is brought to the forefront.

Even if the Phillies improve on their standing, would Amaro trade any of the team’s impending free agents at the deadline?  Would he make a move so as to ensure that the team gets under the luxury tax threshold?

If the Phillies have made trades after Amaro has said that they wouldn’t, what should be made of Amaro saying that trades could actually be made?

Amaro’s track record makes it difficult to get a read on what he could be planning for the Phils.

But, based on that same track record, any plans should have good chances of keeping the Phillies competitive.