General manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. knew that he had to adjust his Philadelphia Phillies' offense. After auditioning Darin Ruf at the end of last season, he obtained three more hopefully starting players for his 2013 team during this offseason.
Adding Ruf, Ben Revere, Michael Young and Delmon Young to the lineup will give the Phillies a different look than it had last season. But, one has to wonder if the sporadic offensive results that have been seen during the last three seasons will continue.
Ruf could potentially become one of the new cornerstones of the franchise if he can consistently hit the ball over major league fences this season. Many of the supposedly learned baseball class seem to believe that his rookie season will reveal him as nothing more than a one-year minor league wonder, or someone of modest ability. Ruf's play, rather than their emotions, will answer all reasonable questions as this season plays out.
Michael Young got a lot of hits in the American League during the prime of his career. At this stage of his game, it will be interesting to see how much he has left to give. The man is a gamer, who likely has at least one good year left in his body.
Ben Revere is a solid glove man with a lot of speed. He's shown some offensive potential, so a protected spot in the batting order this season should help his development.
Delmon Young has had some good years in his career. He needs to stay in shape and remain focused in 2013. With those two points in place, this lineup should help him to hit home runs and drive in his teammates.
The potential that Amaro has audition and obtained gives his team a better shot than last year's group allowed. Soon his decisions will be put to a proper diamond test.
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