Phillies extend Victorino through 2012

Ruben Amaro doesn't mess around with arbitration. After signing Joe Blanton to a 3 year contract earlier today, Amaro went ahead and gave another 3 year contract to another Phillie facing arbitration: Shane Victorino.

According to Todd Zolecki on MLB.com, the Phillies have signed Victorino to a deal that will pay him 22 million to stay with the team through 2012. The signing buys out Victorino's remaining arbitration years and ensures that the core of the Phillies team, with the exception of Jayson Werth, will stay in tact for at least two more years.

The contract makes sense for both player and team. For Victorino, this deal is a reward for his stellar play the last few seasons that has seen him rise to the level of an All Star. For the Phillies, they keep one of their key World Series pieces around without breaking the bank. Whether they will be able to lock up Jayson Werth now, whose contract runs out after 2010, is another story.

That leaves just Carlos Ruiz left for the Phillies to deal with in arbitration. With the way Amaro works, expect Chooch to be extended through 2012 by tomorrow.