Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. Makes $30 Million Mistake

Here's the good news first. The Phils locked down Cole Hamels for three-years, $20.5 million. Ryan Howard just received a three-year, $54 million deal. The core has been secured, but Ruben Amaro Jr. has failed in his attempt to address the aspects that complement that core.

The most glaring mistake was the three-year, $30 million contract given to Raul Ibanez.

Amaro replaced Burrell with a consistent offensive performer. You can expect close to 30 home runs and an average near .290. The positives end there.

First, Ibanez is another left-handed bat in the order. He hit .305 vs. lefties last year, but let's hope that Amaro wasn't blinded by that stat. His career average is .268, and to insert him into the middle of the order with Utley and Howard (both lefties) is far from ideal. Add to that his mediocre defense and his age (36), and you begin to question the logic behind the deal.

It's also essential to note that the Phils are forfeiting a first-round draft pick as a result of his signing. So, this is Amaro's solution in the outfield, but so far he has no replacement for Romero in the bullpen.

J.C. Romero is suspended for 50 games this upcoming season and Amaro has made no signing to compensate for this.

The Phils bullpen is led by three righties—Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, and Chad Durbin. Their bullpen had a 3.19 ERA last season, the best mark in the National League. It was central to their post-season success, but what if they face injuries this year?

Are the Philllies prepared to deal with significant losses in the bullpen?

I believe that the Phils are not, and a repeat of last seasons success in unlikely. My main reason is that Lidge had 69 IP, Madson 82 IP, Romero 59 IP, and Durbin 87 IP. It's not likely that they'll be able to log as many innings next year. Wear and tear needs to be accounted for.

Amaro and the Philllies' management have a short grace period because of World Series Championship. However, let's not expect success to come easily this year. The Phils fan base should have the highest expecations, after all, we're financing Amaro's $30 million spending spree. Let's pressure him to spend wisely.