The Phillies were interested enough in free agent Jorge Soler that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. quietly slipped out of town to watch the 20-year-old Cuban work out in the Dominican Republic last week, according to baseball sources.Soler, a 6-3, 225-pound outfielder with star potential, signed with the Chicago Cubs on Monday. The Cubs had long been rumored to have a handshake deal with Soler, who was officially declared a free agent earlier this month. The Cubs got him for a base salary of 30 million over nine years. Soler defected from Cuba last year.Amaro does not comment on matters of free agency. Last week, in fact, he would not even say whether the Phils had made an offer. According to industry sources, the Phils did make an offerit is uncertain what their bid wasand were a top-five finisher for Solers services, along with the Cubs, Yankees, Braves and Dodgers."We had some interest," was all Amaro would say Monday.These are difficult times for the Phillies GM as he tries to save his flopping team from sliding out of contention in the NL East. The Phils have lost eight of nine to fall eight games back in the division, their largest deficit since June 2007.If the Phils dont right themselves in the coming weeks, Amaro could look to trade some of his high-priced players as he looks for an infusion of young talent.The Phils interest in Soler actually may have gone hand-in-hand with that idea.Obviously, Soler is young and talented, the kind of player any organization would like to have.Hes also an outfielder and thats an area that could soon be in flux in the Phillies' system.If Amaro turns into a seller in the coming weeks, he could look to move two of his starting outfieldersShane Victorino and Hunter Pence. Victorino has long been mentioned as a trade possibility because he will be a free agent at the end of the season and it is uncertain whether the team will look to re-sign him as it budgets to sign Cole Hamels, another potential free agent.Pences name has not really come up in trade rumblings, but dont rule it out. He actually could have more value than Victorino because he will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2013 season, meaning a team would have control of him for next season. Victorino could walk after this season.With the futures of Victorino and Pence so uncertain, the Phils are looking to add outfielders with power potential like Soler to their system.If the Phils turn into sellers, they could look to move any of three pitchers. Hamels would certainly draw interest, but the belief here is that the Phils would look to keep him and re-sign him. Joe Blanton could be had, though his recent struggles have hurt his value.And then theres Cliff Lee. Would the Phils really deal him again after all the protest they heard when they moved him in Dec. 2009? Its not out of the question. Lee is expensivehes owed 87.5 million over the next three seasons in salary and a buyout on a 2016 contract optionbut if a club was willing to pay that and give up talent in return, the Phils just might listen. Lee has a limited no-trade clause.The Phils preference, of course, is to stop their freefall in the standings, keep their team relatively intact, and stay close until Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay return from the disabled list. Utley may be the closest of the group to returning. Howard could be back around the all-star break and Halladay, if all goes well in his recovery from a strained lat muscle behind his right shoulder, around August 1. The Phils hope to be close enough in the standings to go on a run when this trio returns. But if they dont stop the bleeding theyve done lately, its not going to matter.The Phils open a three-game series in Minneapolis against the Twins on Tuesday night. Here are the pitching matchups:Tuesday nightRH Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44) vs. RH Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75)Wednesday nightLH Cole Hamels (8-3, 2.93) vs. RH P.J. Walters (2-1, 4.42)Thursday nightRH Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.40) LH Scott Diamond (5-1, 1.61)
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.