Cole Hamels has been the center-point of this Phillies rebuild. While the team has no issues holding onto him, no one can deny that getting the right return for Cole would put this process into high gear. Though we still may be left with Howard, Utley and Papelbon, a Hamels trade is what this team needs to move this rebuild in the right direction.
The Phillies and Ruben Amaro Jr. have had plenty of suitors for Hamels including the Padres, Dodgers, Rangers and Red Sox. The team Amaro has shown most interest in is Boston, coveting their prospects Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts. The Red Sox have been very reluctant to part with either of these young talents, but a package led by one of those guys is what they will need to acquire Hamels. According to Nick Carfardo of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox made an offer for Hamels, but it wasn't what the Phillies were looking for.
General manager Ruben Amaro said last week that four teams had made offers for Hamels. One of them, according to a major league source, was the Red Sox. But what we’ve been able to piece together through various sources is that the package Boston offered was heavy on the major league side, trying to avoid giving up any of their top prospects. Suffice it to say, that won’t get you Hamels. The Phillies are insistent on prospects, and if they don’t get them now they’ll wait until the trade deadline when there might be more desperation by teams seeking to win.
Another swing and a miss at a Hamels deal for the Red Sox. Amaro, Gillick and the Phillies brass are standing pat on their demands for their ace left-hander as they should be. While a Hamels trade is what the team needs to potentially expedite this rebuild, anything less than a pair of top prospects would be a bad idea for the Phillies.
