Much-maligned Ruben Amaro, Jr. may be headed for the exit in Philadelphia at the end of the season, but give him credit for a late-inning comeback. Amaro had endured the bric-a-brats for a year as he kept ace hurler Cole Hamels on the trading block, waiting for just the right deal before pulling the trigger.
And he got it. Trades like this are all about fit and the Texas Rangers were the perfect fit for the Phils.
Betting that Hamels can team up with returning star Yu Darvish,. the sub-.500 Rangers sent a quintet of high sheen prospects to Amaro for Hamels and Jake Diekman, a cost-controlled middle reliever with command issues but the stuff to close.
Having already borne the fruit of two previous off-loads when Maikel Franco and Aaron Nola ascended to the Bigs this year, Amaro has added three arms, a catcher and prized outfield prospect to the farm. Add to that Matt Harrison, attempting to regain his All-Star form after losing most of three years to a pair of back surgeries.
Texas could offer the prospects because the addition of two #1 starters next year offers promise to bolster league-worst pitching while their mid-pack offense enjoys the recent addition of Josh Hamilton. Meanwhile, the Phillies just shortened the window of deprivation from indefinite to two more years.
If the deal works out as the Phillies may reasonably hope, outfielder Nick Williams, catcher Jorge Alfaro and righty Jake Thompson will join Franco and Nola in the next two years, forming the core of a division contender. That still leaves Harrison and two other arms from this deal that could contribute as well.
Kudos to Amaro and to Rangers GM Jon Daniels. This could go long way to returning both teams to their former positions as post-season regulars.
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