PHILADELPHIA – According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, former Philadelphia Phillies' general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has turned to well-renowned NFL agent Bob Lamonte to assist in his pursuit of becoming a Major League Baseball manager.
Ruben Amaro Jr. a manager? Bob Lamonte, the premier agent for NFL coaches and executives, has taken on a new baseball assignment — remaking the former Phillies GM. Lamonte, who has remade the careers of NFL coaches such as John Fox, Andy Reid, and Jack Del Rio, and transformed Jon Gruden from NFL coach to ESPN star, is now working with the 50-year-old Amaro and trying to sell him as a GM or manager.
Amaro reportedly has interest in managing, and is 'serious about the challenge'.
On top of being connected to NFL coaches, Lamonte is also in close contact with Hall of Famers Tony La Russa and Pat Gillick, as well as Walt Jocketty, who is the Cincinnati Reds' general manager and president of baseball operations.
La Russa, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, had nothing but positive things to say to the The Boston Globe in regards to Amaro and his pursuit of a new role in baseball.
“Ruben is a very smart baseball man. There’s no doubt in my mind he could be a very good major league manager. He’s an ex-player who understands the game.”
La Russa is currently the chief baseball officer of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cafardo suggests that Amaro could appeal to the Miami Marlins, who have recent history in giving a general manager the opportunity to lead the team from the dugout. This past season, Dan Jennings stepped down from the front office to manage the Marlins upon the firing of Mike Redmond on May 17.
Jennings went on to finish the season with a 55-69 record over 124 games. He will return to the front office as general manager for the 2016 season.
The Marlins could have interest in Amaro, according to Cafardo, because of his potential connection with Latin players. While Amaro was born in Philadelphia, his father, Ruben Amaro Sr., is of Mexican descent.
On Friday, former Phillies manager and 2008 World Series Champion Charlie Manuel revealed to The Washington Times that he has interest in managing the Washington Nationals.
It will be interesting to see if both Manuel and Amaro make a return to the National League East under the role of manager for the 2016 season.
Amaro played in eight seasons, primarily as an outfielder, from 1991-1998.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
