The Phillies trade talks continue. While the Phillies have played well of late, the team is still intent on being sellers. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. recently described the Phillies in a recent Ken Rosenthal piece as "one stop shopping" for contending teams. But, the no trade clauses players have complicate matters. Cole Hamels in particular reportedly has refused to waive a no trade clause for one potential destination.
Jon Heyman of CBS writes, Hamels was not interested in Toronto:
According to sources, the Blue Jays inquired about Cole Hamels but were told Hamels would not waive his 20-team no-trade clause to go to Toronto, as is his right (Hamels, meantime, has handled things professionally; he hasn't complained and generally pitched well for the non-contending Phillies). That Hamels call was a blow to the Phillies, who likely saw Toronto, with all its young pitching talent (Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris, etc.) as a potential landing spot, especially considering their frustration in landing the marquee prospect they desire and these two teams' solid trading history.
Hamels' lack of interest in Toronto is understandable.
For players playing in Toronto and Seattle, they spend an extraordinary amount of time on the road. The travel is much further. The closest team geographically to Toronto is Detroit. However, the Tigers are in a completely different division. So, most games would be against the Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles and Rays. The players also must go through customs.
Then there's the matter of artificial turf. While it may not affect Hamels directly (the mound is still dirt) the team will constantly have the issue of attracting position players. Hamels will want assets on his team to help him win. With that major detraction for others, Hamels may be worried about the team's competitiveness going forward.
While it probably would be better for other teams to think that the Blue Jays have a chance, this should not hurt trade negotiations all that much. While the Blue Jays have some nice prospects, it is unclear if the Phillies were really clear about their prospects anyway. The shame for the Blue Jays is, if Hamels was willing to join the Blue Jays, they might have a chance.
