Will Philadelphia Phillies Let Cole Hamels Walk to Bring in More Offense?

While Cliff Lee is attracting most of the headlines for the Philadelphia Phillies after pitching 10 shutout innings Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants, his performance is obscuring the fact that the Phillies lineup provided in an 11-inning, 1-0 loss.

The Phillies managed only four hits in those 11 innings, with Juan Pierre, Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Laynce Nix each batting 0-for-4. 

Also notable for his absence was third baseman Placido Polanco, who sat out because “he needs a blow,” according to manager Charlie Manuel. Polanco was hit on the left elbow by a pitch in Tuesday night’s game, but it was apparently his ineffectiveness, rather than any sort of injury, that scratched him from Wednesday’s lineup. 

The Phillies were already playing short-handed, with injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard keeping them out indefinitely. Polanco wasn’t going to supply much power in their absence, but he’s always been a consistent, dependable hitter.

However, he’s been so bad in his first 11 games (batting .179/.220/.205) that some, such as Hardball Talk’s Matthew Pouliot, are wondering if he might actually be finished as a player. Six strikeouts in 41 plate appearances from a contact hitter might indicate lost bat speed.

The issues with the lineup may be too numerous and serious to fully address this season, unfortunately. The Phillies really just have to cross their fingers, hope that Utley and Howard recover, hope that Polanco can turn himself around and possibly explore the trade market for some help. 

But what about next year? Does general manager Ruben Amaro have to address his lineup and make sure his offense isn’t so lacking coming into the season? 

Can he do that without sacrificing whatever money they originally planned to pay Cole Hamels? That’s a question Casey Feeney asks at CSNPhilly.com. 

The Phillies and Hamels are at a standstill in contract negotiations. Toward the end of spring training, it appeared as if the two sides might be close to agreeing on a new deal. But the last word, courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, is that the team hasn’t made an effort to restart those talks. 

Matt Cain’s new $127.5 million contract with the Giants changed everything. Hamels was probably already looking for $20 million per season, and Amaro has said he believes the Phillies can afford another pitcher at that price to go with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

But is Hamels now looking for something more like $25 million per year? Left-handers draw more than righties on the market, given their rarity. And as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki points out, Hamels’s career numbers are better than Cain’s across the board. 

This might be scaring off the Phillies, as well as emboldening Hamels to test the open market for the biggest free agent payday. 

Losing Hamels would obviously leave a huge void in the Phillies’ starting rotation. But can Amaro justify paying that much money to a pitcher when it could be used to patch up holes in the everyday lineup? 

Shane Victorino’s contract is also up after this season, and he’ll certainly be seeking a raise over his current $9.5 million salary. Losing him would create a much bigger problem for the Phillies. 

Is the team really going to stick with a combination of John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix and Juan Pierre in left field? Or should Amaro pursue an upgrade like the Dodgers‘ Andre Ethier? 

What about third base? If Polanco is close to done, the Phillies can buy out his $5.5 million option for next year with a $1 million payout. And what if the Mets decide not to sign David Wright to a contract extension or pick up his $16 million option? Is that a player the Phillies absolutely have to go after in free agency? 

What if the Phillies could trade for the Padres‘ Chase Headley? He has one more arbitration year after this season. Wouldn’t Headley have to be signed to a contract extension to make such a deal worthwhile? 

Can Amaro make any of those moves if he pays Hamels $25 million per year, perhaps under a six-year, $150 million contract?

It doesn’t seem likely. And as the Phillies’ offense continues to string zeroes on ballpark scoreboards throughout the majors, this is surely a dilemma Amaro and the rest of the Phillies’ front office is agonizing over. 

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