What would a starting rotation have looked like with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee all in it?

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had this to say to reporters during the annual Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet this past Monday night:

"I'm not a dummy. I know what Cliff Lee would have meant to our rotation in addition to Halladay and Hamels. It's a no-brainer.

Our goal is to be a contender every year -- not just to be a competitor, but to be a contender every year. That's really my job. As an executive of the club, it's my job to do what I can to try to maintain that level of talent on the club and that hope from the fans."

Lee, is a free agent after the 2010 season, and he'll demand top dollar in the open market. But since the Phillies are nearing a club-record payroll of $140 million this season and have more than $130 million already committed to 15 players for '11, Lee seemingly would've had just one more year in Philly and Amaro preferred more stability thereafter.

With Lee now gone, the key for the Phillies this year will be Cole Hamels. The most pressing issue for them is what they'll get out of him. If he's the guy he was two years ago, they have two legitimate aces, and you have to like their chances to battle for the World Series and maybe even host another parade. If not, if Hamels is the scatterbrain whose mental toughness was repeatedly questioned last season - the guy who couldn't hit his spots on the mound or with the media - it's hard to envision the Phillies getting past the AL's best even if they're lucky to make it that far.

Trading Cliff Lee might have been about money or restocking the farm system, but ultimately it was about Hamels. Should he perform well, Amaro will look like a genius, if he fails, well, the season could get messy.

When 2009 went bad for him - a not entirely unpredictable result of the big jump in innings he experienced in 2008, when he ruled the postseason - the fixation became on his personality.

When last we saw Cole Hamels, the bright lights were less than flattering to him. After Game 3 of the World Series, Hamels said he couldn't "wait for [the season] to end. It's been mentally draining." Then he added he was eager for a "fresh start." That prompted his dopey teammate Brett Myers to walk past him in the clubhouse and quip something on the order of, "What are you doing here? I thought you quit." Myers later said he was joking, but we all know there was something to it.

Last week, during a news conference, someone asked Manager Charlie Manuel if he'd spoken to his No. 2 starter since the season ended. He said, "no."

There are a lot of people wondering what Hamels is up to and whether his head is right (not to mention his stuff), and with good reason. In the last two seasons, both ending with trips to the World Series, Hamels had radically different results. In '08 he was King Cole, World Series MVP. In '09 he was the negative image of the Fall Classic hero he had become, a guy who pitched poorly all year after spending much of the off-season shooting TV commercials and popping up on late-night talk shows.

Hamels is out there somewhere, presumably working on his third pitch, a curveball, and waiting for spring training. That fresh start he wanted so badly a few months ago is nearly upon him. If the Phillies are going to make another run at the title, he'd better make the most of it.

From a wagering stand point, I'm putting my money on a repeat of the Phillies vs. Yankees World Series again, except this time I think the outcome for both Cole Hamels and the Phillies will be different. - Robert Fairchild

Robert is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

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