Say hey, baseball: Cole Hamels trade price is ‘unrealistic’

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The Phillies want to trade Cole Hamels to help fuel their rebuild, but they aren’t just going to give him away. There is risk in not dealing Hamels as soon as possible, since pitchers can get hurt and the entire complexion of the four years remaining on his deal could change if that happens, but that contract length also gives the Phillies a bit of an edge in talks. They don’t need to move Hamels today, and they can wait for a team to give up exactly -- or at least pretty close to -- what they want for him. So, their return expectations might come off as “unrealistic” to the teams trying to pry Hamels loose, but the Phillies should be waiting this thing out as long as they can this winter in case someone cracks.

This likely means the Red Sox aren’t going to get him, however, as Mookie Betts and Blake Swihart are considered major pieces of Boston’s future, and there is too much competition for Hamels for the Phillies to ask for less from the Sox. Boston could wait until midseason and see about taking Cliff Lee off of Ruben Amaro’s hands should he prove healthy, but that’s a conversation for a warm summer day. In the meantime, the Padres, Rangers, Cubs, and more will fight it out to acquire Hamels at something below the Phillies’ current asking price.

Hamels is owed four years and $96 million for anyone not on his no-trade list, and for the 20 teams that are, he’ll have his fifth-year option automatically picked up, turning it into a five-year, $110 million contract. Both are extremely reasonable considering how the market has jumped since Hamels signed his extension: Jon Lester is Hamels’ equal, less than two weeks his junior, and just signed a six-year, $155 million deal, while Max Scherzer is likely to sign one even richer and longer. His deal might just be reasonable enough, however, that the Phillies don’t end up moving him by the time the season starts since they can demand so much for him and his contract.