After Cliff Lee expressed frustration on Thursday, Ruben Amaro, Jr. said Friday that the Phillies have "no desire" to trade Cliff Lee, or any of their other high-priced pitchers.
"They're all rumors, and we don't comment on rumors," Amaro said of talk that Philadelphia could move Lee or Cole Hamels in July. "But I don't see what the benefit would be to our organization to trade those players. They're players we've got who can help us win, and we're better off with them than without them."
Amaro was just as adamant that it was illogical for the Phillies to consider trading Papelbon.
"People would like us to improve our club, but at what cost?" Amaro said. "You have to have replacement pieces if you're going to trade someone like that. And we don't have a guy who I consider a closer on our club other than Papelbon. He's the best we've got and one of the best in baseball, if not the best.
"I believe you have to have a closer to win and have success, and I believe in having a [true] closer. Not a closer by committee. A guy who stops the game when you're supposed to win late. We don't have a replacement to do that. ... And I don't see any closer on the market who would be anywhere near as good as Papelbon. I just don't see it. So if you want to win, why would we want to trade a guy like that?"