Phillies to announce Ruben Amaro Jr. as their new GM

Phillies GM Pat Gillick will ride off into the sunset having accomplished the ultimate goal by bringing a championship to Philadelphia. Gillick announced months ago that 2008 was going to be his last season as GM, and since that time two names have been rumored to be taking his place: assistant GM's Mike Arbuckle and Ruben Amaro Jr. Most believed that the Phillies were leaning towards Amaro Jr., and they have been proven right.

The Phillies will announce Monday that Amaro Jr. will be their next general manager, and they will also announce that Arbuckle is leaving the team. Having learned that Amaro Jr. will be the new GM, Arbuckle informed the team that he will be leaving to look for other opportunities, presumably to find a GM job somewhere else.

Amaro Jr. has always seemed like a "company guy" and he is well-liked within the organization, so the Phillies must feel good to have him in charge. Whether he will be the better man for the job is another story. Arbuckle has overseen the Phillies drafts the last few years, the same ones that brought in most of the players that helped them win the World Series, like MVP Cole Hamels.

Amaro Jr. has Phillie red in his blood since both himself and his dad played for the team. It will be interesting to see how he handles his first offseason after the championship with several players looking for a big payday. The decisions Amaro Jr. makes could mean the difference between a one year wonder and a dynasty.