The Boston Red Sox have been rumored to be interested in Cole Hamels for months now, and that speculation may no longer be necessary. The buzz about a trade between the Red Sox and Phillies intensified when Jon Lester chose the Chicago Cubs over the Red Sox and others, but now it seems that Boston is no longer a possible destination for Cole Hamels.

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According to Inquisitr, the Phillies are no longer considering any deals from Boston, and the reasoning falls squarely at the feet of Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro Jr. The Phillies GM reportedly coveted Mookie Betts, one of the potential young stars in Boston's organization, and the one player whom Red Sox GM Ben Cherington was adamant that he would not trade.

Because he cannot have Betts, Amaro has apparently decided that Boston can now not have Hamels. The news surely comes as a blow to Boston's hopes of contention in 2015, as Hamels' numbers are remarkably similar to Jon Lester's. If Boston hopes to land a top-flight starting pitcher, they will now have to turn their attention to the still-unsigned James Shields and Max Scherzer.

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The news is not all bad, however, as many fans are no doubt delighted that Cherington has elected to hold on to his best prospects instead of trading them away, which increases the odds that the team will stay in contention over the next decade and beyond.

With Boston out of the picture, there is no longer a clear favorite to land Hamels, although several other teams are interested in trading for him. Hamels has a no-trade clause, but he has declared that he would accept a trade to the Yankees or Rangers. He also gave permission about the San Diego Padres, who have been chasing him for weeks now, as well as several other National League teams.