The Philadelphia Phillies may trade Cole Hamels this winter ahead of the season and if that happens, teams like the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, NY Yankees, LA Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels could be interested in making a move for the left-handed pitcher into 2015.
Hamels has been mentioned in trade rumors all offseason and if he is not traded by the start of the season, it looks like he will be moved at some point this year. Ruben Amaro has spoken openly about the deals the team has received for Hamels, stating that between four and eight teams have been in contact with the Phillies over the past couple months. According to Hardball Talk, Hamels has made his most extensive comments about the possibility of a trade, speaking with USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale about his future.
Hamels spoke with Nightengale and while the reporter stressed that Hamels is not "demanding a trade", he talked at length about wanting to win and that he has been following the internet chatter about his status. This offseason Hamels has come up in connection with the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, NY Yankees, LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, with Boston reportedly making an offer recently. The Padres are likely out of the mix after signing James Shields as a free agent.
Hamels is just 31 years old and is coming off of one of his best seasons as a professional, putting up a 2.46 ERA despite playing for a bad team. Hamels was 9-9 and went for over 200 innings while averaging nearly a strikeout per inning this year. Hamels said that he is "just as eager" as the Phillies to move on, as they are in a rebuilding phase right now. Hamels still has four years on his contract for $96 million and some teams may not want to take on all of that money.
Hamels has a no-trade clause with 20 teams and he said that "there is no better feeling than winning", referring to his time in Philadelphia when they were winning division titles and the World Series. The Cardinals could look at Hamels as a cheaper option after showing some interest in Jon Lester and Max Scherzer, while the Dodgers could look at Hamels as insurance for Zack Greinke. The Yankees have long needed another starter, but likely do not want to part with their top picks, while the Red Sox could up their offer from last month.
Earlier in February, CSN Philly reported that at least four teams have made "real offers" for Hamels and so far none have been good enough for Amaro. The team is looking for a package full of prospects and is not as interested in major league players, which is why the Phillies rejected the last offer from the Red Sox. Hamels still has years of prime ahead of him and if he is not traded before the season, there is a good chance that he is dealt at the deadline this summer.