The Philadelphia Phillies have been at the center of numerous trade rumors this offseason, nearly all of which involve their star starting pitcher, Cole Hamels. The Phillies are in rebuilding mode right now, and it was believed that they would try to trade Hamels since he would bring back a hefty return.
Lately, however, it has appeared that Philadelphia's asking price may be too high for their suitors. With no other real trade chips beyond Hamels, the Phillies were expecting multiple elite prospects from anybody who was interested in the lefty ace.
With few (if any) teams even willing to discuss Philadelphia's terms, it now appears that there is a solid chance that Hamels will be on Philadelphia's roster for opening day. However, there are also whispers that the Phillies may elect to keep Hamels permanently if they think they can rebuild quickly during the offseason.
Phillies Asking Too Much For Hamels?
For one thing, the Phillies may believe that Cliff Lee can return to his old form if he can stay healthy.
One reason #Phillies may keep Hamels: If Lee is healthy and option vests, PHI would have two elite starters through at least ’16. Then…
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 23, 2015
And there will be numerous quality starting pitchers available in free agency next offseason, so Philadelphia may elect to try and sign one of them, which would give them a three-headed monster to lead their pitching staff.
…#Phillies could sign another starter out of deep FA class next winter (Price, Zimmermann, Samardzija, etc.) and ramp back up quickly. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 23, 2015
However, the team would still be willing to move Hamels if the right deal came along.
That said, #Phillies still would trade Hamels. Per source, they want one prospect who could make swift impact, others for future.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 23, 2015
But they are still asking a lot. If Hamels gets traded, it will most likely be closer to the trade deadline, when a contending team may be more willing to mortgage its future for a chance at a World Series title this season.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
