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Phillies Appear To Be Standing Pat For Now
Philadelphia fans hoping that a trade might snap the Phillies out of their recent poor form may be waiting for a while. Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. spoke to reporters today in New York and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki passes on the news that Amaro doesn't think a roster overhaul is necessary.
"We're not making any major moves here," Amaro said. "This is our team out here and they'll be fine. If we get the guys healthy we'll be fine."
Amaro's comments about the Phillies' lineup ("I don't know if there's anybody better than the players we [have] ...we have one of the best nine in the game") seem to indicate that acquiring a position player isn't in the works. The Phillies' problem isn't that their lineup has any obvious holes, it's just that proven stars like Chase Utley and Jayson Werth are in the midst of slumps.
When asked about acquiring pitching, however, Amaro didn't outright dismiss the possibility that his club might pursue an arm. Amaro said that J.A. Happ and Ryan Madson returning from the disabled list "gives us quite a bit of depth," but left unsaid was what the team might do if either hurler has a setback, or isn't up to form once they're off the DL.
Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News pointed out yesterday that the Phillies' large payroll and lack of top prospects (besides Domonic Brown) might also be a factor in a lack of trade deadline action. Even if the Phillies do decide to add a pitcher or some other player for the stretch run, it will likely be a lower-level acquistion rather than the likes of a Cliff Lee.
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