Ruben Amaro is joining the Phillies on a road trip to Arizona and San Francisco, something he was planning to do anyway, even before a 14-2 loss to the Miami Marlins Sunday.

What he sees in the next week could --- no, it should --- determine the short-term future of a roster that should not be 14-18, and which should have scored on more than one of their final 23 innings over the weekend against the Marlins.

“I mean, they need to swing the bats better,” Amaro said, after the Phillies fell behind. 9-0, after three innings and were unable to counterpunch. “That's not good enough. But when we are behind the eight ball that much, it is kind of tough to crawl back. But there is no question: We have to swing the bats better.”

They ... have to swing the bats better.

That, they do.

And if they don't, then there must be changes.

But Amaro said he still has confidence in his assembled players. And that could be at least a small hand-tip about his plans ... particularly considering that Charlie Manuel is without a contract past this season.

“I believe in these guys still,” the general manager said. "I think they are good hitters. They are just not hitting very well. They need to do better. For us to be contenders, they have to hit better.”

If not ...


Check out my column on the aging Phillies, their sputtering offense, and Amaro's diminishing patience in the Daily Times Monday and, as always, on delcotimes.com