Asked if Montgomery has ever nixed a deal Amaro presented him, the GM responded, "David is the most supportive owner anybody could ever have."
"We all have people that we have to answer to," Amaro continued, "but David Montgomery is . . . I think about what Pat Gillick said to me when he kind of passed the baton and I took over. He said, 'You will never find a better place to work and you will not have a better boss.' I know I'm not going to get a better one than Dave."
The Phillies clearly have prioritized the closer position, which features big-name free agents like Madson and Jonathan Papelbon along with a slew of veteran options with big upside but significant injury or age-related risks. Amaro said the team has had preliminary dialogue with free-agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins but did not give the indication that a deal is close.
"I think it's all been very positive," Amaro told the cable network. "I think Jimmy, and he has earned this right to be out there looking at other possibilities, that's the nature of being a free agent, and that's great for him. If there's another situation out there for him that he thinks is better for him, more profitable, whatever the case may be, he may take that. Hopefully that doesn't happen."
