If you have ever bought a car or a house, was your first offer the best offer you planned to make? If you sold a house or a car, was your listing price the bottom-line lowest price you were going to take? A buyer usually starts low and a seller starts high, hoping to meet somewhere in the middle. That appears to be where the Phillies are starting to end up with teams in regards to Cole Hamels.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, whose connections have had him on top of Hamels trade negotiations, writes:
It remains shocking that no team has been able to make a deal for Hamels. And it’s not all the Phillies’ fault. “They want everyone’s top guys and you can’t blame them,” said one National League GM. “But I think they’re getting more realistic. The team that can offer them prospects and a major league-ready player or pitcher will get him. And then it’s just a matter of where Cole would want to play.”
Part of the hold up could be Max Scherzer and James Shields.
The San Francisco Giants recently declared themselves out of the running for Shields (and Max Scherzer, too). No team really seems connected to Max Scherzer, who reportedly wants a $200 million contract. Teams have two choices: pay a lot of money and give up a draft pick, or pay prospects and cash for Hamels. The higher the price of Scherzer and Shields, the more appealing Hamels may be, especially as his price comes down.
We are 47 days away from when pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater. Scherzer's agent Scott Boras tends to hold out until the last minute (or in the case of then-free agent Kyle Lohse and once-again-free agent Stephen Drew, after Spring Training or even the season starts). Will teams get frustrated with Scherzer and go after Hamels?
The Phillies are doing just waiting to find out.
