How Ruben Amaro Jr. Helped Build Phillies World Series Team

PHILADELPHIA, PA — While much deserving praise has been heaped upon Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld for the array of moves that brought the Phillies this far, they didn't inherit a blank slate.

The Phillies roster went through an array of peaks and valleys under former general manager Matt Klentak and president Andy MacPhail, with as many successes as failures. Ultimately the alchemy couldn't be tinkered enough to get the Phillies over the .500 hump and into the postseason, and they turned the reins over.

But long before Dombrowski, even before MacPhail and Klentak took over in 2015, Ruben Amaro Jr. had built the foundation of the foundation, building blocks that date all the way back to the last Phillies dynasty in 2011. Eight key members of the World Series squad were acquired by Amaro, either directly or indirectly.

Of course, much of the rest of the core was acquired by Dombrowski in Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, and Noah Syndergaard. MacPhail and Klentak's chief legacy is the two enormous superstar free agent signings: Zack Wheeler, and Bryce Harper.

Fans are happy to relegate Amaro, MacPhail, Klentak, Joe Girardi, Gabe Kapler, and the rest to the Philadelphia sports dungeon headlined by Ben Simmons and Carson Wentz. Amaro served as Phillies general manager during three division titles, running operations from 2009 to 2015. Outsiders often credit Hall of Fame Phillies executive Pat Gillick with the bulk of the 2007-2011 Phillies dynasty, and Amaro gets all the blame for the Phillies subsequent lengthy rebuild after handing out large contracts to the team's aging stars.

But it's not the full picture. Seven years ago, MacPhail himself had some prophetic words about Amaro's work when speaking about the latter's final trade deadline with the franchise.

"This organization is going to bear the fruits of his labor for years to come."

He wasn't wrong.

Today, Amaro, a Philadelphia native, is still an outspoken Phillies fan. He was a first base coach for the Mets and Red Sox after he left the Phillies, but he's now back as a commentator. He takes no credit.

Maybe he should. Here's a look at the key players on the current roster acquired under Amaro or with pieces he acquired.

Trades

Zach Eflin

Zach Eflin (and minor leaguer Tom Windle) came from the Jimmy Rollins trade with the Dodgers in Dec. 2014.

J.T. Realmuto

Nick Williams, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, and Jorge Alfaro all came to the Phillies in exchange for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman at the trade deadline in July 2015. Budding ace Sixto Sanchez, once ranked as high as the #5 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, was scouted as a 16-year-old under the Amaro regime.

While Williams, Eickhoff, and Thompson are no longer with the Phillies, Sanchez and Alfaro were used by MacPhail and Klentak to acquire the best catcher in baseball from the Miami Marlins, J.T. Realmuto.

Amaro deserves credit here because it doesn't take a sharp baseball mind to know this Realmuto deal was a good one. The tricky part was getting the pieces that could land an elite player.

Draft

Jean Segura

J.P. Crawford, the Phillies first round draft pick in 2013, was used to acquire second baseman Jean Segura in a 2018 blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners.

Rhys Hoskins

The relatively unheralded Hoskins slipped to the fifth round of the 2014 draft, where Amaro's Phils grabbed him.

Aaron Nola

The Phillies best draft pick in recent history, Nola was taken sixth overall in 2015.

Bailey Falter

Phillies number four starter Bailey Falter was picked in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.

International free agents

Seranthony Dominguez

The Phillies shutdown closer Seranthony Dominguez was signed as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republican in 2011.

Ranger Suarez

The man who recorded the final two outs of the NL Pennant-clinching game, and who has served as the team's reliable number three starter all year, Ranger Suarez was signed as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2012.