Philadelphia Phillies: Cole Hamels Wants to Win, Says Phillies Fill That Need

Cole Hamels says there is no timeline for reaching a long-term contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he hopes that his agent and Ruben Amaro Jr. remain in contact while he continues to focus on producing on the field. For Hamels, all that maters most in 2012 is getting back to and winning the World Series.

“All I ultimately want to do is play for a winning team, and the Phillies want to be a winning team,” Hamels said Monday.

Hamels is entering the final year of his current contract, worth $15 million. He signed the one-year contract in January to avoid arbitration. With Hamels suggesting he would like to stay in Philadelphia and the Phillies looking to reciprocate the feeling, the chances appear pretty good that Hamels will work out a contract with the Phillies, whether it is a long-term deal or another multi-year deal.

Hamels will be the third highest-paid pitcher in the Phillies’ projected starting rotation with Cliff Lee being paid $21.5 million and Roy Halladay being paid $20 million this season.

The contract most in the industry point to as a potential model for what Hamels may ultimately sign is Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels. Weaver signed a five-year contract worth $85 million last August, netting him $20 million in the final year of his contract. Hamels could potentially make more as salaries increase for premier players, especially those on the mound.

The Phillies have three pitchers who would be legitimate ace pitchers on any other team, or close to it. Hamels was that guy on this staff before the acquisitions of Lee, Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Lee (uhh, again).

If you took a temperature of what Hamels wants today, it is not necessarily to be the main guy on the mound. Hamels never shied away from wanting to be the best at his position, even referencing Tim Lincecum’s individual accolades at one point when comparing himself to other star pitchers.

Hamels says he is a hard-working competitor, and few would intelligently argue that concept after one of his finest seasons in the big leagues with a career low in ERA (2.79), and dropping his walks allowed (from 61 in 2010 to 44 in 2011) and home runs allowed (from 26 in 2010 to 19 in 2011).

Hamels does not appear to be going anywhere, and that should be great news for Phillies fans. That should mean two more full seasons of Halladay, Lee and Hamels guaranteed. Halladay’s contract expires after the 2013 season, but he has a 2014 option.

Kevin McGuire is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle. This article was originally published and appears on Macho Row.

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