The Philadelphia Phillies have been unable to deal ace left-hander Cole Hamels to kick start their rebuilding process, but their failure to trade him hasn't been for a lack of interest. According to reports, the Phillies had four different offers for Hamlels, and one of them was from the Boston Red Sox.
The Boston Globe reports that Boston tried to acquire him, but didn't meet Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro's demands for prospects. Amaro's asking price has been called very high by sources close to the situation, and the Red Sox' offer is said to have been "heavy" on MLB-ready talent or current big league players.
Last season Hamels had ace-quality stats despite an unimpressive 9-9 record. The Phillies were in shambles in 2014, relying on a core of veterans that once made for a formidable, World Series winning group. He posted a 2.46 ERA. 1.15 WHIP, and 3.36 K/BB ratio for the last place Phils.
Hamels also posted the lowest HR/9 ratio (0.62) of his nine-year career despite pitching in a noted home run haven for the worst Phillies team of his tenure.
The Red Sox are now likely to head into spring training with question marks surrounding their starting rotation, which is currently headed by Rick Porcello, acquired via trade this offseason from the Detroit Tigers.
Porcello was solid in 2014, going 15-13 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 3.15 K/BB rate. He only struck out 5.67 batters per nine in 2014 despite good surface numbers though, and while he carries the reputation of a ground ball pitcher, his ground ball rate dipped last year while his fly ball ratio rose by about six percent.
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