After watching the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals put together grind-it-out at-bats against the Phillies' superior starting rotation, Amaro said he thought his hitters needed "to go about it a little differently."
"I think we have to have a different mind-set or approach than maybe we had in '08 or '09," Amaro said immediately after the season. "I think it's a different ball club. I don't think we have nearly as much power. I think we have to rely on having better at-bats, being better with two strikes, and being better situational hitters. Frankly, those are things we'll have to change if we want to be a championship-caliber club and get to the World Series."
A couple of months later, Amaro backed off a bit from that stance by saying he was pleased with the way the offense improved over the course of last season. The Phillies were tied for second in the National League in runs scored after the all-star break and were a more balanced team with the arrival of rightfielder Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros.
Actions, of course, always speak louder than words, and Amaro's offseason moves focused more on adding power than adding players with high on-base percentages. The three main offensive additions - Ty Wigginton, Laynce Nix, and Jim Thome - are best known for their ability to drive the ball out of the park. Late in the offseason, the Phillies signed Juan Pierre to a minor-league contract, and there's a decent chance he will land on the opening-day roster, too.
In fairness, after re-signing shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies did not have any openings for position players other than left field. If Nix (16 home runs) and John Mayberry Jr. (15) can match their home-run totals from last season, it will make for a nice combination there.
