The Philadelphia Phillies will likely trade Cole Hamels at the trade deadline this season and teams like the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, NY Yankees, Houston Rockets, Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals could be interested in making a deal.
Hamels has started struggling over the last month with trade rumors starting to get more and more consistent and that could have an effect on how he is pitching. Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports reports that Hamels, David Price and Johnny Cueto are getting the most attention among pitchers at the trading deadline. Rosenthal also reports that the Phillies may have to "lower their expectations" about what they want in return for Hamels if they want to get a deal done.
The Phillies reportedly have been asking for top prospects in deals for Hamels and that was also true in the offseason and in the spring. The Boston Globe reported months ago that the Phillies were asking for two or three top prospects and other solid young players in a deal with Hamels and that made the Red Sox balk at a deal then, although they are still interested. Rosenthal writes that the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, NY Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have all scouted Hamels in recent weeks and could be landing spots for the pitcher.
Rosenthal writes that with a number of strong pitchers on the trade market, it's unlikely that the Phillies will get a huge haul for Hamels now. Hamels has more money on his deal than the other big names and that also could be an issue. Hamels has four years on his deal and around $80 million and he has a vesting option or a buyout at the end in 2019. Comparatively, Price and Cueto are both coming into the final years of their deals and will not be as expensive moving forward unless the team that trades for them tries to sign the pitchers in free agency after the season.
There are also lower level pitchers on the market like Scott Kazmir, Kyle Lohse and Mike Leake that could be acquired for less than major prospects. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported that the Red Sox have had scouts watching Hamels and it comes after Jon Heyman previously reported that the team was the "favorite" for Hamels earlier in the season. The team will not give up Mookie Betts in a deal and the Red Sox are desperate for some top line rotation help after the way they have pitched this season.
The Yankees need some depth with CC Sabathia struggling and Ivan Nova coming back from an injury, while the Orioles are also looking for a top line pitcher. The Astros have shown interest but Hamels may not want to go there, while the Dodgers have Zack Greinke likely opting out after this season and they could look at adding Hamels. The team reportedly will not give up Corey Seager in any deal and that could keep them from trading for Hamels if the Phillies draw a line.
Check here for the Cole Hamels trade interest and more on what teams could be interested.