Something stinks in Philly and for once it isn't the hoagie you forgot about in the back of your car. 

     By all accounts Pat Gillick is the kind of GM who has a reputation for being a workaholic.  We have seen several moves from the GM as he has taken over control of the team.  In a previous post (In Gillick I Trust) these moves have been outlined, however in the discussion that followed I found a common thread holding all of Gillick's moves together.  All players who were traded or involved in trade talks were considered in some way to be "soft". 

     Vicente Padillia was not only soft physically he was often accused of being soft mentally as well.  Bobby Abreu, sure the Phils might never get more for him than right now, forget that for a second.  What is Abreu's only real knock, he's solid as a performer on the field.  However he is considered to be soft mentally.  His late season failures often attributed to that soft minded mentality. 

    David Bell, subject of rumors as well is soft physically.  He plays in so few games that after  10 years he might still be eligible to win rookie of the year.  Ok he has played a majority of the season the past 2 years, but sometime perception weighs more than reality.  

     Jim Thome you can make a case for also being soft physically.  This past year was not the norm for Thome.  But, could the real deciding factor in the deal been just that.  Ryan Howard has enormous potential and Thome has already proven his.  I won't venture a guess as to that really being the deciding factor, but keep it in mind in the context of all these moves as a whole.

     Many in the Phils nation have begun to wonder about the moves Gillick has been making.  We see big names (in Philadelphia) leave the team or at least on the trade block, yet the players being brought in?  Let's just say they are questionable at best.  

     Here's where the conspiracy theory starts, why isn't Gillick making big improvements to the team.  Why isn't he going after the starting pitching he said he would?  Pat wants this team to under-achieve.  No really he does.  How would he justify firing a manager who took his team (a perenial loser) within one game of making the playoffs, he can't.  Firing Manuel to start would have meant losing the players.  

     Why does Gillick want Manuel out as manager?  Well remember the common thread with his player moves, "percieved softness".  I mean this is the guy who was brought in to the Phils under the tag line, the Anti-Bowa.  Being Thome's bud didn't hurt either.  David Bell also  a former Indian (although not under Manuel's watch).  But, Thome is gone, Bell can pretty much just pack his bags and wait for the call. 

     Gillick wants his stamp on this team.  Manuel does not seem to fit his mold.  Let me be the first one to say, the moves so far, and subsiquent lack of moves is a set-up.  So if the team really struggles out of the gate and comes limping in to the All-Star Break, don't be surprised when Manuel gets the boot.  Also don't be surprised if he doesn't even make it that far.   The transactions in the Phils front office will pick-up, once Manuel is gone.  Gillick is just itching for an excuse to unload Wade's players and personel and by purposely leaving the team thinner on talent then they were last year, he may get his wish.