Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time, and that figures to continue as Major League Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline draws closer.
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Hamels Not Pushing for Trade From Philly
Saturday, June 6
It is clear that the Phillies are a long way from contention, but their 31-year-old No. 1 starter is in no hurry to be dealt elsewhere despite that.
According to MLB Network Radio, Hamels is content to be a member of the Phillies:
The dominant lefty hurler is enjoying another strong season at 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 81.1 innings. He is in line for his fourth career All-Star nod, and he is one of the lone bright spots for the 21-35 Phils.
While Hamels isn’t in any hurry to be traded, he also seemed to suggest that he couldn’t force a move out of Philadelphia even if he wanted to:
Hamels is obviously cognizant of the fact that a trade is possible since he is signed through 2018 with a 2019 option at $24 million per season, according to Spotrac.com. For a team that is near the bottom of the league, that is a huge and arguably unnecessary financial commitment.
The 2008 World Series MVP constantly hears the trade winds blowing, but he has figured out a way to ignore the whispers:
Hamels could very well end up with a different team by the time July 31 rolls around, but his approach and goal won’t change regardless:
Teams are always in the market for an ace-caliber pitcher, especially left-handers. Hamels also has a history of playoff success, which makes him an even more valuable commodity.
It will be odd to see Hamels in anything other than the Phillies’ red and white, but since the organization figures to receive plenty of big-time offers moving forward, a trade seems to be the likeliest scenario.
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