At what point does a mere thought or suggestion become a full-blown rumor? And how much responsibility should the planter of the seed bear on what ultimately grows? During his career, Ruben Amaro Jr. has been on both sides of the rumor game. As a front office executive with the Philadelphia Phillies for almost 17 years, Amaro had to regularly contend with the never-ending flow of speculation, the whispers that became roars over the moves he should or shouldn’t make. Now as a pre- and post-game television analyst and occasional color commentator for Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Amaro is on the media side of the game. Also a regular contributor on 94WIP Sports Radio in Philadelphia, as well as co-host of “The Phillies Show” podcast along with Philly-based writers Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury, Amaro can often be a well-connected source of such speculation. Ruben Amaro Jr. Suggests Trading ‘Big Contracts’ Like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner When Amaro talks about the Phillies, it carries weight. So there were a few eyebrows raised on Saturday when, during the “Office Hours With Ruben Amaro Jr.” segment on 94WIP, Amaro had a “scandalous” thought for show host Devan Kaney. “You may see one of their big contracts moved,” Amaro said. “I’m not saying who, and I know there’s a lot of no-trade clauses, but you may see one of those big contracts get moved somehow, someway.” Though Amaro did not dive into specifics, there are really just a handful of contracts that would legitimately fit the criteria. Talking later with WIP colleagues Joe Giglio and Hugh Douglas, Kaney said she initially suspected it would be Trea Turner, and it makes sense. While Turner is scheduled to make over $27 million annually through the 2034 season, the 32-year-old shortstop plays a premium position, and he did just win the NL batting title. Plus, the Phillies have top prospect Aidan Miller knocking on the door. However, Kaney said that talking to Amaro a bit more about it during a break in their show, she got the distinct impression that the player potentially getting moved could be Bryce Harper. “I know it sounds crazy, but this is a player who’s really on the back half his career. He’s only getting older. He really hasn’t done a ton in the regular season or postseason. Like, he hasn’t put up the numbers that he used to, you know. When you look back at the postseasons that he’s had, there’s only so many moments, right? There’s only so many times you can back to Bedlam at the Bank before it gets a little bit old. And he doesn’t add too, too much to the clubhouse culturally. He’s a pretty quiet, reserved guy, where like Kyle Schwarber is more so the leader. Would that be a massive move around the baseball world? Yes, it would. Would fans be mad? I think it would actually be more split than you’d expect, given, you know, the way things have gone the last two postseasons, last four postseasons.” Dave Dombrowski Questions Bryce Harper’s Status as an Elite Player Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski only further fanned the flames of speculation during his end-of-the-season news conference on Thursday, which was coincidentally Harper’s 33rd birthday, when Dombrowski seemingly questioned what the two-time NL MVP may have left in the tank. “He’s still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star caliber player,” Dombrowski said Thursday as he broke down the season. “He didn’t have an elite season like he’s had in the past, and I guess we only find out if he becomes elite [again] or he continues to be good. “Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer. And really, he’s the one who will dictate that more than anything else, is what it comes down to.” For his part in the drama, Amaro pushed back against the suggestion that he is “a rumor creator.” “I just opined that it is a possibility and it is the duty of the general manager to explore all possibilities,” he said. “And I think that Dave Dombrowski . will keep his mind open on everything to try to change the mix a little bit so that they don’t necessarily quote-unquote run it back.” Amaro also acknowledged during a recent episode of “The Phillies Show” that attempting to move a contract like Harper’s would be extremely difficult to do, but he stressed after four seasons of failing to reach the ultimate goal, Dombrowski will have to “be bold.” “You want to change the mix? You have to, you know, explore pretty much everything,” Amaro said. “Not just big contracts, little contracts, the whole nine yards.”.
https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/ruben-amaro-suggests-trading-big-contracts/
