Ruben Amaro Jr. was supposed to be explaining why he and the Phillies had traded Cole Hamels and what they had received in return, but for a few seconds Friday afternoon, he did something rather remarkable, shrinking the Citizens Bank Park news conference room into a confessional.
Amaro sounded like a man who had found religion when it came to what he and the Phillies had done wrong in their recent history. For Hamels and reliever Jake Diekman, Amaro, team president Pat Gillick, and president-in-waiting Andy MacPhail coaxed five prospects from the Texas Rangers. Later Friday, the Philllies sent outfielder Ben Revere to the Toronto Blue Jays for two minor-league pitchers - this, after trading Jonathan Papelbon on July 28 and Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd in the offseason and getting no major-league-ready players back.