Cole Hamels says he’s ‘open-minded’ about possible trade destinations
We’ve reached that time of the baseball season where trade rumors will begin to consume our minds, our souls, and above all else, our social media accounts. And in many cases those rumors will be more heavily discussed than the results on the field.
Among the names we figure to hear most will be that of Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels. The 31-year-old left-hander is available as the Phillies move forward with their rebuilding project and will be highly sought after by multiple contenders, making it more a matter of when, not if he changes uniforms.
In fact, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro has been engaging in trade talks regarding Hamels for several months, but has yet to take the plunge. That will change in the next five weeks, and based on comments from Hamels on Saturday, Amaro’s hands may not be tied in terms of who he can negotiate with.
According to Jim Salisbury of Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia, Hamels says he’ll be open-minded when approached about a potential deal and may not necessarily use his no-trade provision to block trades to teams not on his wish list .
“I have not been approached,” Hamels said Friday. “When I’m approached, then I can make a decision and provide an answer about a team.
“But I’m open-minded on everybody and everything.”
Even Toronto and Houston?
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve always been open-minded. I will think about everything.”
That response is notable because Houston and Toronto are not among the nine teams Hamels can be traded to without his approval. According to Salisbury, that list includes the Yankees, Rangers, Nationals, Cardinals, Braves, Padres, Dodgers, Cubs and Mets.
“I had to make a list back in October,” Hamels said. “I came up with a criteria based on a lot of things — winning and losing, family. It was only nine teams. Those teams were in the middle of the pack.”
Hamels acknowledged that a lot has changed since then, most notably Houston and Toronto turning themselves into contenders. Both teams are likely to pursue a stabilizing force in their rotation before the deadline, and in Houston’s case especially may have the prospects required to land an ace.
Of course, another factor here will be Hamels’ looming $20 million option for 2019. One could safely assume he’ll require the acquiring team to pick up the option before agreeing to a deal, or force the Phillies to pick up the tab. Hamels will be also due $73.5 million guaranteed from 2016-2018, so he could prove to be a hefty investment.
Given his age, consistency and durability — he’s made at least 30 starts every season since 2007 — he’ll definitely be on a lot of radars. Now we just wait to see who can satisfy the Phillies demands.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
