Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It’s safe to say most Phillies fans who are paying attention feel Ruben Amaro’s days should be numbered. It’s harder to believe that is actually true. However, sentient bow-tie Ken Rosenthal thinks Ruben is on his way out, for real, and Ryno is right behind him. From his Fox Sports piece on who is on the hot seat:

Phillies president David Montgomery is immensely loyal to his employees, but the team’s home attendance is cratering — from an average of at least 44,000 from 2009 to ’12 to 30,346 this season. The failure of general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. to make a single trade before the July 31 non-waiver deadline only intensified fan unrest. Amaro since has moved right-hander Roberto Hernandez. He can shop other players this offseason. But if not for Montgomery’s protection, Amaro might be gone by now.

Much as it might pain Montgomery, fresh leadership is needed — and Amaro is not the only one who warrants scrutiny. Manager Ryne Sandberg, in the first year of a three-year contract, at times looks overmatched, struggling in his communications with veterans and with his in-game management.

Charlie Manuel was a player’s manager, and perhaps it was inevitable that his successor would encounter friction. Sandberg inherited an old, bad team, and might simply need more time to grow. But considering that a new GM eventually would want his own man, the removal of Amaro would not bode well for the manager.

Rosenthal makes some good points here, but none of them are groundbreaking. Yes, attendance is down (and will only remain in a downward trajectory), and yes Ruben’s lack of a trade deadline “intensified fan unrest,” but all signs still point to Rube keeping his job. Montgomery, though he remains relatively secretive, has said he is against a rebuild and Ruben hasn’t gone against those wishes. He’s doing the front office’s work, and it would surprise me if he wasn’t in the GM chair at the start of next season. It’d be a nice surprise though.

If he is cut loose, common sense dictates that Ryno will be gone as well. Maybe. In their history, the Phillies tend to stick with managers past their first 200 games by a pretty large margin (unless they’re interim), which is right around where Ryno would be at the end of this year. Plus, dumping Ryno off would be a real fresh start, something this team has, so far, been terrified of committing to. But a new GM may want that new start.