The Phillies have been making strange decisions since Amaro took over as GM, some of which worked out – Raul Ibanez – and the Phillies are still the best team in the NL East, but they’re old, and this contract and the weird departure of Cliff Lee do not bode well for the team’s decision making process – it’s become suspiciously Metsian.

In one way, the Ryan Howard deal isn’t good news for the Mets, because Ryan Howard is really good at baseball, and is going to be playing for the Phillies for a while. But, in another way, it is good news for the Mets, because Ryan Howard isn’t THAT good at baseball, and the Phillies decision making appears to be shaky.

– Patrick Flood, Exile on 126th St.

This, as they say. And I wouldn’t call the Ibanez deal a win just yet. While he played well last season, he slumped down the stretch, there are still two years left on his contract, and he’s going to be 38 in June.

Moreover, between Howard, Roy Halladay and Chase Utley — tremendous players, no doubt — the Phillies have $55 million in payroll already locked up for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Utley’s one of the best players in baseball and could still be a bargain at $15 million at age 33 in 2012.

Halladay’s certainly among the best pitchers in the game now, but will be 35 for most of 2012.

Presumably Amaro knows more about the Phillies’ finances than I do, and maybe he doesn’t expect the team to be hamstrung by $55 million in salary committed to three players on the backside of their primes. That’s a lot of money, though.