Amaro On Six-Game Winning Streak: 'Expectations Still Not Super High'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- For the first time since 2012, the Phillies have won six straight games. At 17-23, they are no longer in last place in the National League East.
Nevertheless, the franchise understands they're in a rebuilding year and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says that's not going to change.
"We're in a performance based industry and clearly it's all about wins and losses, particularly in Philadelphia," Amaro told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show on Tuesday. "We had much lower expectations going into the season. We had some goals that we set for our organization and that was to, in this transition, to try to get younger players to come to the big leagues, to give us an opportunity to play better baseball and to help develop them so that we can find out who can be the core type players who can move us forward to get to the point to be a perennial contender.
Listen: Ruben Amaro Jr. on the 94WIP Morning Show
"That's the goal and anytime to can put wins together while you're doing that, that's great. But again, the expectations are still not super high, but the expectations we have is that these guys continue to develop and hopefully that's happened."
So don't worry, it doesn't sound like the Phillies will be turning into buyers at this year's trade deadline. Sellers, however, well that's far more likely and no Phillie is more valuable than Cole Hamels.
According to Amaro, no starting pitcher in baseball is worth more than Hamels.
"I don't know that there's a reason to do that," Amaro said, when asked if he would ever lower the price for Hamels. "In Cole Hamels, we have the premiere pitcher who for a club, who is a contending club, he fits every single bill you would want. He's left-handed, number one. He is battled tested and been the World Series MVP and won the World Series. He's had tremendous success, he's under and outstanding contract. All those things add up to great value to me. Now, other clubs may value it differently. But the fact of the matter is, if you want to be a contending club and you want to add a piece like Cole Hamels to your arsenal, there's not a better starting pitcher piece, I don't believe."
The Phillies look for their seventh in a row tonight in Colorado against the Rockies. You can hear the game LIVE on SportsRadio 94WIP at 8:40 pm.
