DALLAS - The best news for the Phillies at these winter meetings really had little to do with them.
When general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. awoke Thursday morning, the biggest news of this baseball offseason was breaking: Albert Pujols had agreed to a 10-year deal worth between $250 and $260 million with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The impact was not lost on Amaro.
"If that's the case, I'm glad he's out of our league," the Phillies general manager said.
Only two general managers in the National League would disagree with that sentiment.
One, of course, is John Mozeliak. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals general manager left the Hilton Anatole and headed home without comment about losing the franchise's most iconic position player since Stan Musial.
Silence really did speak volumes in this case.
Miami Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest also had to feel at least a little jilted after making eye contact and no doubt buying Pujols' agent Dan Lozano a drink here in Dallas.
There were more than a few people here Tuesday night who thought the Marlins were going to follow up the signings of closer Heath Bell and shortstop Jose Reyes by persuading the 31-year-old Pujols to join the beautiful people in South Beach, too.
Instead, the Marlins settled for the addition of pitcher Mark Buehrle, a veteran lefty who strengthens their starting rotation. Pujols, of course, would have given the Marlins the most dangerous lineup in the league and made new-look Miami an imminent threat to the Phillies' string of five straight National League East titles.
Amaro made the point that the Phillies' division will still be among baseball's best even without the presence of baseball's best player.
"The Marlins have been extremely aggressive, and they already had a pretty good, young team," he said. "To add what they've done, they'll be a significant challenge for us, no question about it."
The Cardinals are not in the Phillies' division, but they were the obstacle that caused the Phillies to stumble and fall short of their pursuit of a World Series title last season.
Instant analysis will say the Angels are now the favorites to replace the Cardinals as World Series champions in 2012, and they sure look good, especially after also signing free-agent lefty C.J. Wilson away from their division rival Texas Rangers.
