Ruben Amaro Says 'Dialogue's Open' In Cole Hamels Contract Negotiations
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Recent reports suggest that the Phillies haven't had contract talks with Cole Hamels in over a month. According to Ruben Amaro, that doesn't mean the Phillies aren't trying to get a deal done.
"I think Cole knows what the goal is, to try to keep him in our uniform, and I hope he has the same goal, and the same desire. I have no reason to believe there's not," Amaro said in an interview with 94WIP's Angelo Cataldi and The Morning Team on Friday. "I'll always be optimistic about it, the dialogue's open. We don't shut off the negotiations, that's not our style."
"We have to figure out what's the right thing to do for us and try to move it forward," Amaro said of Hamels' potential price tag. A report yesterday said that a Hamels contract could be valued anywhere from $150-175 million if he hits the open market as a free agent.
The Phillies have won two in a row after starting the season 1-3, scoring only eight runs in the first four games. Amaro said that having to play without key players in the lineup is nothing new for the team. "We've had to deal with this for several years," he said. "I think that we have very capable people to be able to create enough offense to win baseball games. Is it going to be an offensive juggernaut? No. It's not going to be the same offense we produced in 07, 08, 09. I think the strength of our club continues to be pitching."
One of the stories so far this season has been the play of rookie shortstop-turned-second baseman Freddy Galvis. "He's a pretty special kid when it comes to defense. He's going to get beat up a little bit offensively for a little while, but he's a kid who makes good adjustments," Amaro said.
Galvis was involved in the best moment of the season so far, when fans chanted "Freddy! Freddy!" when he stepped to the plate during Wednesday night's win over the Marlins. Galvis answered with an RBI double. "I thought that moment was fantastic. the perfect testament how our fans feel that they can impact the game. Those "Freddy" chants were superb. That's what makes me proud about being a Philadelphian."
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