Phillies general manager Amaro facing big test in months ahead

SEATTLE - They are gamblers by nature, bankrolled by men who expect them to turn their money into something more. For some general managers, the ultimate goal is a net profit. For others, it is a world championship. In most cases, it is a combination of the two, a balance of year-to-year competitiveness and financial sustainability.

As the Phillies prepare for baseball's most pivotal months, their tight rope is strung at an unprecedented height. Lean too far to the right, and they are chalk-lined on the floor of unrealized expectations, an underperforming offense having undercut a rotation for the ages. Lean too far to the left, and they are tumbling into the darkness of an over-leveraged future, a swollen payroll and a depleted farm system, having eliminated their ability to improve in the future.

Welcome to Ruben Amaro Jr.'s biggest test yet. Since taking the reins from Pat Gillick after the 2008 season, the third-year general manager has developed a reputation as a front-office action hero. Clad in a uniform of khaki and argyle, he sweeps through the hotel suites and conference rooms of National League cities, delivering text messages like uppercuts and emails like karate chops. He sees through the souls of agents and general managers (and maybe even a brick wall or two).

Every year, we hear a similar refrain: that the payroll is maxed, that the farm system is taxed, that he can't afford to trade dollars and prospects in stacks. And then Cliff Lee arrives, and Roy Halladay signs, and Roy Oswalt moves north with his contract in tow.

Still, there are two things to keep in mind. First, Amaro landed Oswalt only after Houston agreed to kick in $11 million of the roughly $25 million that remained on the righthander's contract. Two, the Phillies did not win the NLCS. Over the last three seasons, as they have built their rotation to its current strength, they have gone from Best in Show to Best in NL to Runner Up. When they won the World Series, their top three starters were Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Joe Blanton. When they lost the World Series, their top three starters were Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Pedro Martinez. When they lost the NLCS, their top three starters were Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.