MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies manager thinks Cole Hamels will be traded this month

Cole Hamels remains on of the biggest chips on the MLB trade market, and indications are that he could be dealt soon.

Cole Hamels has heard his name in whispers, rumors, and discussions for close to two seasons now. However after many starts and stops in trade talks revolving around the All-Star left-hander, the Philadelphia Phillies have never been able to find a deal they felt brought back fair value in return.

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That may change quickly.

Speaking with Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sportsnet, interim Phillies manager Pete Mackanin got fairly candid in regards to Cole Hamels, something you rarely hear from a manager. He mentioned that, “while he doesn’t have any inside knowledge of the situation, it is probable that Hamels is dealt before the end of the month to help rebuild.”

Granted, there is some fairly ambiguous language in there, but it would seem to hold true with other recent moves with the Phillies. Many felt the Phillies were being tepid about big moves until they settled things in their front office. Now that the team has hired Andy McPhail as the new club president, there is a growing conception that things may start happening with more urgency. Additionally, McPhail’s background in advanced metrics may open the door for the team to take chances on some lesser known prospects in any return package.

The Boston Red Sox were mentioned as the most likely suitor for Cole Hamels this past winter, and many felt the Phillies’ ace would be dealt to Boston. However, Ruben Amaro held to his guns, with rumors circulating that he was insisting on a package centered around catcher Blake Swihart and infielder/outfielder Mookie Betts. However, Boston preferred to build a potential deal around pitching prospect Henry Owens and pad it out with lower-level, higher ceiling guys. As such, the talks stalled and similar issues arose in talks with the Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams.

At the end of May, rumors picked back up, noting that the Phillies were willing to eat more of Hamels salary in order to better the prospect package they would receive. With a little over $12 million still due to Hamels in 2015 and an additional $76.5 million over the next three seasons guaranteed, that may need to be significant for any team to give up a MLB-ready talent plus additional prospects, regardless of Hamels’ value.

And that’s where the sticking point really is. Owed $23.5 million each of the next three seasons, taking him into his age-34 season, teams are a little hesitant to take on that kind of money given the track record of starting pitchers with Hamels’ mileage after the age of 30. However, the lefty has been surprisingly resilient over the years, pitching no fewer than 193 innings since 2008 and posting a career record of 113-89 over his 10-year career. That’s left Hamels with an average yearly value of a little over $27 million over the last nine seasons according to FanGraphs. Given his start to 2015, there’s little sign that is letting up either.

With teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Astros, and more all on the prowl for starting pitching, Hamels will continue to be a highly talked about name as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches. Granted, he will have to wave a no-trade clause in order to accept a deal to some of those teams, but it won’t stop any of them from asking.

And with a deal ready to be made, Cole Hamels could finally get his wish to be pitching for a contender again.

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