Ruben Amaro Says 'We May Have To Do Some Selling,' Ryan Howard Is 85%-90%
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – After a 6-5 loss to the Mets Thursday night, the Phillies dropped to 37-47, and 13 games behind the division leading Washington Nationals. The question surrounding the Phillies has been, and looks like it will continue to be, "buyers or sellers."
"Clearly I'm doing a fine job, we stink right now," Amaro said sarcastically to 94WIP's Angelo Cataldi and The WIP Morning Show Friday morning. "We may have to do some selling, but that doesn't mean we're all in to sell," he said. "To me, it's about trying to be as good as we can today, but also keeping an eye on tomorrow as well. We have to be reasonable, and try to be intelligent about the decisions that we make. I mean if we go in the tank from here until July 31st, and it doesn't look like we have a snowball's chance in hell to make the playoffs, then we have to think about what we're going to do as far as trying to replenish and to our system. That said, I'm hopeful that we start playing good baseball and we're not in that position," he said.Most questions about buying and selling have regarded center fielder Shane Victorino, and to a larger extent, starting pitcher Cole Hamels. Both will be free agents after this season.
"I'm hopeful that getting Doc [Halladay] back in the next couple of weeks, and having Ryan [Howard] back in the fold, we're getting at least closer to what we envisioned our club for the year," Amaro said. "That we start playing better baseball. If we don't, then we'll have to think about how we try to skin the cat. It doesn't mean we can't be buyers and sellers at the same time as well."
Tonight will likely see the return of Ryan Howard, who Amaro said is likely to play. "We think he's somewhere between 85% and 90% of what he's going to be," Amaro said about Howard, adding that he thinks the team owes it to Howard and to the fans to bring him back.
