The Phillies are reportedly preparing a large extension offer for 28-year-old southpaw Cole Hamels, who shut down the Rockies today at Coors Field in a well-scouted game. We've heard Hamels expects to be paid as an elite pitcher, so his next contract is surely headed north of $100MM. In recent months Matt Cain and C.C. Sabathia both chose extensions over the open market, signing five-year contracts worth $112.5MM and $122MM in new money, respectively.
The Cain and Sabathia contracts include reasonable sixth-year vesting options, but that fully guaranteed sixth year is probably what both pitchers sacrificed by signing prior to full-blown free agency bidding wars. The Phillies already have one starting pitcher megadeal on the books, having created the template by signing Cliff Lee for five years and $120MM plus a vesting option in December 2010. A year and a half later, a Lee/Cain/Sabathia-type contract would be a reasonable offer from the Phillies for Hamels, but he may want more. The clock is ticking, because if they can't extend Hamels, the Phillies' best path is probably to trade Hamels for a nice bounty this month. How do you see it playing out?
What is this luxury tax you speak of? I have no idea.
I think they’ll extend him, haven’t really pictured him in any other uniform.
Trade him get some good prospects then re-sign him in the off-season!
P.S. im a whitesox fan
Trade Shane Keep Hamels. Hamels has his family already setup here! Hamels will make more money from the Phils than any other team.
I hope Larry Baer opens up the purse strings, he’d be great in San Francisco!
25 mil – Howard
24 mil – Lee
20 mil – Halladay
12 mil – Papelbon
15 mil – Utley
Total: 96 mil
could cost
15 mil – Pence
20 mil – Hamels
Total: 131 million for 7 players. Hello Luxury Tax! That is why they won’t keep Hamels.
They have already said many times the money is not an issue with Hamels, the years are. Phillies can go over the luxury tax a year, it goes up to 189 for 2014 and Utley will be off the books.
I doubt he signs right now. When a player is this close to free agency he tends to test it. I’m not saying the Phillies won’t sign him but if they do I think it would be in the off season.
Trade him but don’t give him away he has made it this far what is another 2 months he isnt going to sign a deal now. I am aware of him being rental, but teams must also realize that if phils lose him to free agency they get two picks in top 40 upcoming draft, so a package must at least be better than that. Imagine angels they would go hamels weaver cj, instant ws contender, if hes traded to rangers he is the ace of that staff, and then detroit imagine verlander hamels in short series lol. I guess only time will tell what the price of a ws is for these teams.
The Phillies are really going to regret the Howard contract, especially when it increases to $25 million. That money could be going to Hamels instead of wasting it on Howard.
Did you just realize that? It won’t cripple them though, They will still have 150-160 million to use on other players.
I hope they extend him and then trade Doc back to the Jays for Gose, Snider and Nicolino
Hamels should be retained by the Phillies given the quickly advancing ages of what would be their remaining “aces” Halladay and Lee.