The Philadelphia Phillies are still considering a Cole Hamels trade this offseason and teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, NY Yankees, LA Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Padres could be interested in making a move and this comes as Ruben Amaro has said that he has had multiple offers for Hamels this winter.
According to CSN Philly, the Phillies have received at least "four real offers" for Hamels and Amaro added that eight teams have "kicked the tires" on a deal. Hamels is the last big name left on the trade or free agent market, as James Shields signed with the San Diego Padres. The Padres were interested in a deal for Hamels earlier in the offseason, but that's likely off the table after the Shields deal, although San Diego has been active this winter. The team has made numerous trades and signings and it wouldn't be shocking if they did this too, but it's unlikely.
ESPN's Jayson Stark reported that the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, LA Dodgers and Texas Rangers have "stayed in contact with Phillies" and those are the most likely teams that could pull off a move. Hamels had arguably his best season in 2014 and he was one of the best pitchers in baseball down the second stretch of the season. Hamels has some years left on his deal, but at 31 he is still in his prime and could be a cheaper option than some of the big name pitchers that will eventually hit the market.
ESPN.com reported earlier in the offseason that Amaro said he expects Hamels to be with the team on opening day, but clearly there are teams that are interested. The Padres signed Shields, but before that Fox Sports reports that they made "an aggressive offer" for the lefty starter. The team likely put in some of their top prospects, but clearly the Phillies wanted more, or a deal would have been done.
Hamels still has four years and nearly $100 million on his contract and while that is a lot, when compared to players like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, it's relatively cheap. The Yankees are likely not in the mix for a deal now, but Brian Cashman has done a good job of getting some younger prospects and since they need some starting pitching help, he could end up as a target. If Hamels is not moved this offseason, it's almost a guarantee that the team trades him at the deadline this summer.
Last season Hamels went just 9-9, his numbers are way better than his record reflects. Hamels just turned 31 in December and he put up a 2.46 ERA on a bad team and struck out nearly a batter per inning. Hamels is owed $96 million over the four years and has a $24 million vesting option, which also could be a $20 million team option with a buyout for the 2019 season and that could make him tougher to move. Stark added earlier that the Dodgers, Rangers and Cardinals are not on Hamels' no trade list and that could mean those teams could step up and make a deal at some point.
