In December, reports surfaced that the Phillies and Padres had engaged in talks involving Cole Hamels. Wil Myers seemed to be the focal point of that deal for the Phillies, but as of right now Myers is no longer a part of dicussions in trade talks according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
An earlier report out of Philly, which accurately suggested Hamels was on the Padres' radar, also suggested Myers could possibly be going to Philly in a potential Hamels deal; but it appears Myers isn't part of discussions, at least not at present. The Padres "acquired Myers to keep Myers, not to use him as a chip," according to someone familiar with their thinking.
In addition to the Padres, the Red Sox and Cardinals have been known as suitors for Hamels. The Padres have already made a variety of moves to acquire Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers and still may have room to make a deal for Hamels if the price is right. Throughout all of their trades, San Diego has managed to hang on to some of their best prospects in Hunter Renfroe, Matt Wisler and Austin Hedges.
Heyman goes on to talk about how a rival executive of the Padres believes they could be the most likely landing spot for Hamels as they have made moves with the intent to contend very soon.
But while nothing appears imminent, or even necessarily on the front burner, one executive with another team suggested the Padres may be more likely than some others to land Hamels, based on their decent prospect list and obvious resolve to contend in 2015.
Yet another rival exec suggested the Phillies are looking for a "huge" package in return for Hamels, to the point where that exec questioned whether Philly is committed to trading Hamels as they are telling teams they are, there is still good news for the Padres: trade scenarios most recently discussed with San Diego are said not to have included Wil Myers, one of the three big-time slugging outfielders San Diego already acquired and previously rumored to be involved in the Hamels talks.
Hamels is owed $96 million over the next four years. The length of his contract is what could become attractive for teams when push comes to shove as other options like Max Scherzer may require a longer commitment with more money involved.
