The Sporting News released a slideshow (ugh) of their top General Managers in Major League Baseball. The list is headed by Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane, of Moneyball fame. If you have the patience and took the time to click through all 30 slides, you'll see that the last slide, the one ranked dead last, is Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.
The Sporting News had some harsh words for Amaro:
Amaro’s attempts to build a team as if it is still 2008 have been baffling. After a year in which the Phillies were too old and broke down physically, Amaro actually made them older in the offseason. You almost have to double check that Tony Gwynn and John Mayberry are not actually their fathers.
The Phillies' injuries this season have been mostly younger players (Ruf, Asche, Gonzalez), but the point is well-taken.
Amaro may not be fully to blame; Phillies President David Montgomery is a very loyal guy, and sometimes that loyalty is to a fault. Part of me wonders how much Amaro's hands are tied by those above him who wish to hang on to their players. But, the performance on the field is be the best measure of a General Manager's performance, and that is what is damning.
h/t to CBS Philly, who linked to the report.
