Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Cole Hamels Suitors If He Hits the Trade Block
June 1, 2012 by Alec Snyder
Filed under Fan News
To say that starting pitcher Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies is having a good season would be an understatement. He’s tied for the major league lead in wins with eight, is second in the NL with 72 strikeouts, and eighth in the NL with a 2.43 ERA. In addition, his WHIP of 1.01 is good for seventh in the NL.
To put it honestly, Hamels has been stellar this season.
However, there are a couple of interesting factors surrounding the Phillies’ best starting pitcher this year. Hamels is a free agent after the season and will likely be the most coveted pitcher on the market, if not the most treasured player hitting free agency in the coming offseason. Whether the Phillies will be willing to pay his asking price, which could be historic for pitchers, is one of the biggest questions looming for other teams potentially interested in bringing Hamels into their organizations.
The more pressing issue right now, at least, is that the Phillies are having a subpar season. Although their 27-25 record leaves them just three games out of first place, the Phils are in last in the NL East. If the Phillies don’t get to the top of the standings anytime soon, they could be sellers at the trade deadline, which could mean that Hamels would be available in a trade. And while it’d be a large deal, some teams could be able to make that deal.
Should the Phillies fall out of contention, here’s a look at five teams who have the assets to make a trade and could use the Phillies’ left-handed ace to bolster their rotation.