Cole Hamels was lit up for five earned runs by the Nationals in his last turn through the Phillies’ starting rotation and he stands 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA through three starts this season. But that doesn’t mean the 31-year-old left-hander is suddenly going to come at a discount for teams looking to trade for him.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke to a National League general manager who has been inquiring about Hamels for his big Sunday notes column and asked whether the Phillies’ sky-high winter and spring asking price has dropped in recent weeks. The general manager’s response: “Not one bit.”
And why should it? You can include Hamel’s poor start to the 2015 season and he still boasts a 3.03 ERA (126 ERA+) over his last 874 major league innings. Trust the larger sample size. And his remaining contract (four years, $94 million) is a bargain in a market where Max Scherzer can command a $210 million deal.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. will be hoping Hamels stays healthy and teams get more desperate.
It’s imperative to the rebuild in Philly that the ace fetches a significant package of talent.