Today, began the 2014 MLB Winter Meetings where many teams will be making trades and free agent signings. One of those teams that could be unloading players are the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies are in rebuilding mode as the team unsuccessfully finished this past season with a 73-89 record which put them in last place in the NL East. The NL East is getting stronger with young talent as the Miami Marlins locked up their star slugger in Giancarlo Stanton with a 13-year contract and the rest of division is playing their young players right away.
For the Phillies, they do not have the top young prospects yet to plug and play right away but they can if general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. can pull the trigger on a deal. Amaro Jr. has been under tons of scrutiny for his lack of free agent signings and handing out big money contracts to players such as Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.
But there is one person that has Amaro Jr.’s back and that is Phillies interim club president Pat Gillick. Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com was on hand when a reporter asked Gillick about the job security of Amaro. Amaro’s contract is up after the 2015 season and many wonder will he get another chance with this team.
Gillick responded back to reporter with this response:
“I’ve got his back . . . I’ve got confidence in him . . . Ruben didn’t all of a sudden get dumb. People don’t want to hear this, but there were five years from 2007 to 2011 and the last year in 2011 we won 102 games. He didn’t all of a sudden get stupid the last three years.”
Amaro is under a lot pressure to get the job done which means finding a possible trade partner for starting ace Cole Hamels and trying to unload the contract of Ryan Howard. Trying to unload those two players contract will be tough but Hamels is more likely to be dealt than Howard depending on what free agent pitcher Jon Lester does.
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