Will the Phillies trade Cole Hamels before Opening Day? While things had slowed down, injuries to some top pitchers have changed the trade landscape. We all know that Boston does not wish to give up a top prospect in order to land Hamels, but might someone else?
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes:
The Rangers and Phillies continue to remain in contact regarding star Phillies left-handerCole Hamels, according to people familiar with the talks.
The teams have discussed Rangers prospects who'd go in a package for Hamels, but the sides were said to be still far apart. At this point, the parties weren't necessarily expressing great optimism the gap could be closed, but they aren't closing the door, either.
The Rangers, who lost their ace Yu Darvish for the season due to a torn UCL and Tommy John surgery, may be the main hope for the Phillies now, as there is no evidence the Red Sox and Phillies have talked seriously in recent weeks about Hamels.
Third baseman Joey Gallo and catcher Jorge Alfaro are the two top prospects in the Rangers organization, but there are many others that might interest the Phillies.
The Rangers faltered badly in 2014 after losing several of their top players to injury. Many considered the Rangers a candidate to bounce back and compete in 2015. That is, until Darvish was lost for the season. Hamels could help the Rangers become contenders once again.
