Phillies tab Amaro to replace Gillick

Nov 2, 2008 - 1:46 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The world champion Philadelphia Phillies have made their first significant move of the offseason.

The Phillies on Saturday tabbed Ruben Amaro, Jr. to replace Pat Gillick as general manager, according to a report in the Philadelphia Daily News.

Amaro has been a member of the Philadelphia front office for the past 10 years after briefly playing for the team as an outfielder in the mid-1990s.

The 43-year-old Amaro has won a two-man race against Phillies scouting and player development chief Mike Arbuckle, who will leave the organization to pursue other opportunities, according to the report.

Arbuckle led the drafts that yielded stars Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell.

Amaro has been the face of the franchise recently, negotiating contracts with players and serving as the front office's point person with the media.