FanHouse RubenAmaro

FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Philadelphia Phillies.

The City of Brotherly Love's long championship drought came to an end when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske in Game 5 of the World Series last October. The city exploded in appreciation of a team that's a blueprint for success in the modern game, with homegrown stars studding the lineup and top of the rotation, and a handful of savvy acquisitions, like Lidge, sprinkled around to fill holes.

Cole Hamels got his reward for carrying the Phillies through the playoffs this season. He reached agreement on a three-year, $20.5 million contract extension that will keep him out of arbitration and in the Phillies' rotation until at least 2011. According to the New York Post, he'll make $4.35 million in 2009, $6.65 million in 2010 and $9.5 million in the deal's final year.

The deal erases one arbitration case from the lengthy docket facing the Phillies this offseason. It also takes away the chance that the team could create an acrimonious working relationship with its best pitcher a few months after he was named MVP of both the NLCS and World Series. Those are both big positives, although Hamels' extension bucks the recently established trend of teams buying out free agent years with long-term contracts.

It wasn't a secret that Pat Gillick was going to step down as Phillies general manager after this season which meant the team had plenty of time to figure out his successor. The only problem was they had two top-notch candidates in house as replacements. Assistant general managers Ruben Amaro and Mike Arbuckle both played a big role in building the world champions but one was going to be left holding the bag.

It wound up being Arbuckle. Amaro was named the team's new GM at a press conference today. Amaro played for the Phillies and served as Gillick's public face on many occassions the last couple of years. He was widely seen as the former GM's protege. Arbuckle handled scouting and player development and, upon learning he wouldn't get the top job, informed the team that he'd be leaving for other opportunities.

It's a big loss. The Phillies lean heavily on players that Arbuckle brought into the organization. Six of the nine players who started Game 5, in fact, were drafted under Arbuckle and the guy who closed the game was acquired in exchange for three players Arbuckle selected. That's a big loss as will be the other guys Arbuckle poaches when he lands another job.

Last year, the Red Sox celebrated their championship by re-signing World Series MVP Mike Lowell and bringing back several other role players. Their only major addition from outside the organization was bench bat Sean Casey. Needless to say, that kind of stability in the era of free agency has become increasingly rare, and the Phillies won't be an exception.

Of course, the Phillies aren't exactly the 1997 Marlins either. They have a strong young core intact. Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Brad Lidge are all under contract or the club's control for the near future. That five-player spine should be enough to make Philadelphia one of the favorites in the National League next season.

But the status of some of the second-tier players who were integral in the championship run is up in the air heading into the winter. Pat Burrell is at the top of that list. The left fielder is a woeful defender and will never hit for average, but his patience and power will be sorely missed if he signs somewhere else.

Jamie Moyer is also a free agent. He could pitch until he's 50. He could walk off into the sunset. Either way, he made 33 starts for the Phillies during the regular season and three more in the postseason. That too will not be easy to replace.

In the Playoff Pulse series, our MLB editor takes on a hot October topic.

Things move fast in the Internet Age. That's the nature of a 24-hour news cycle or maybe just the short attention span of Americans. Either way, before you know it we're going to be talking about CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira (And Jake Peavy and Manny Ramirez and maybe even Prince Fielder).

So let's take the chance, while we still can, to pay tribute to the 2008 champions. With a cheesesteak in one hand and a Yuengling in the other, here's to you Philadelphia.

- Here's to the Phillies fans, first and foremost. You're not always the easiest folks to understand. You've booed just about everyone including many of your own players. Even among East Coast baseball fans you can seem like a cynical, sour bunch. But your passion and loyalty is undeniable.

In frigid temperatures and pouring rain on Monday night, Citizens Bank Park was packed to the hilt. In more than 100 years of existence, you've been rewarded for your devotion with a title only twice. It hardly seems like enough.

- Here's to Cole Hamels, who at just 24 has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and just maybe its greatest changeup artist.

Until his magical October run, Hamels wasn't widely recognized by casual fans for his dominance. He wasn't even an All-Star this year. Hope you enjoyed the relative anonymity while it lasted, Cole.

It seems like the FanHouse has become the one place where Kyle Lohse can find some support. We've chronicled his search for gainful employment in painstaking detail over the last month. There were some hopeful signs for Lohse at Phillie camp this weekend.

Kyle Kendrick got lit up by the Blue Jays yesterday. His line of two innings, seven hits, six runs and two walks leaves him with an ERA of 16.43 thus far. While there's no reason to panic just yet, plenty of pitchers have struggled in March and sparkled later on, the Phillies can't be too complacent. They already have deep problems at the fifth spot in the rotation and can't afford similar trouble in Kendrick's four-hole.

The nominal fifth starter, Adam Eaton, had a MRI yesterday which revealed a herniated disk in his back. The good news is that he should still be able to pitch, the bad news is the same. If his back gets worse, the Phillies will be banking on Chad Durbin or J.D. Durbin or a return to health from Kris Benson. That should work out well.

All of these issues have done nothing to change the team's mind about Lohse, however. Assistant GM Ruben Amaro threw more water in his direction.

"We don't have any interest in him. The fact of the matter is we may not have the dollars and cents to do something like that at this time."

We're still pulling for you, big guy. If Sidney Ponson can find work, so can you.

Pat Gillick seemed to announce earlier this week that he plans to step down as general manager of the Phillies after next season, the last of his three-year contract. A day later he backtracked, saying his plans weren't set in stone but still admitted that he was leaning in that direction. So, assuming he does leave, who's next in line to take his spot? Unlike teams like the Astros and Pirates, there's a good chance the team won't need to conduct a nationwide search for their leading candidates. From MLB.com:

Will Mike Arbuckle or Ruben Amaro Jr. become the new general manager of the Phillies?

Both assistant general managers bring front-office experience to the position, having worked for the Phillies for many years. Arbuckle arrived on Oct. 26, 1992, coming from the Braves' organization, while Amaro went straight from the playing field to the assistant GM spot after the 1998 season.

Amaro almost landed the job in Houston earlier this month before Ed Wade swooped in and grabbed it. Promoting from within has to be the ideal situation for the team as it allows Gillick's successor to have a voice in the current direction and long-term plans so he won't have to completely start from scratch when he does eventually take over. That said, having two qualified candidates working side by side might result in some kind of power struggle, but considering Arbuckle and Amaro have almost a decade of experience working with each other, that's probably not a huge concern.

The strength of the Philadelphia Phillies has been shaken up a bit with the news that Freddy Garcia's throwing bicep is sore and that he'll miss at least one spring start. But the Garcia and the Phillies are playing the role of Officer Barbrady from South Park, telling us to move along ... there's nothing to see here.

Garcia said that he was not worried and that he hoped to be ready by the team's April 2 season opener, but it is difficult to imagine that he will not begin the season on the disabled list. He has shown below-average velocity on his fastball all spring, and this shutdown - he'll miss at least his next start - probably means he'll need more time to get ready for the season.

Garcia showed below average velocity in a lot of pockets of 2006 with the White Sox as well. But assistant GM Ruben Amaro never saw that as a problem related to injuries:

"We consulted with their medical people, and nothing precluded us from making the deal, especially not with the comfort level we had with [White Sox general manager] Kenny Williams. With trades, it's buyer beware. It always has been. We felt comfortable enough with the information gathered from their medical people."

The Phillies' rotation has been regarded as a significant strength this year. But a lot of that optimism rides on a healthy Garcia. Even a Garcia topping out at 85 mph is like playing with fire in the band box known as Citizens Bank Park. Luckily for them, they have a surplus with Jon Lieber ready to step in. Yet a strength is neutralized if Garcia's arm remains tired.

Previously on The Fanhouse:
Jon Lieber to the Bullpen