Although waiver moves do not typically include big names, an exception might be made this year. The Chicago Cubs have claimed Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels off of waivers, giving the teams a 48-hour period to work out a trade before the Phillies opt to retain the left-hander.
According to reports late last night, although the Cubs claimed Hamels, the two sides might be far off in agreeing to a trade for the star pitcher. If the teams can't work out a trade, the Phillies would simply pull back Hamels off of waivers and go about their day. Sources say Philadelphia's general manager Ruben Amaro wants either Starlin Castro or Javier Baez in a trade for Hamels, which the Cubs might be reluctant to surrender.
However, this trade would be more than attainable. Amaro failed to move one of the teams excessive contracts prior to the deadline; Cole Hamels (owed over $100 million), Ryan Howard (owed over $75 million), Cliff Lee (owed over $50 million), Jonathan Papelbon (owed over $25 million), and Marlon Byrd (owed over $16 million). Other GMs across the league said Amaro was asking for too much young talent in return for these players, and it seems as if he's still doing so. But perhaps the Cubs were preparing for this moment when trading away Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics.
In that trade, Chicago received the A's top prospect in Addison Russell, who is playing shortstop for Double-A Tennessee. The team called up prospect infielder Javier Baez this week who is already 4-for-14 with three runs scored, three home runs and five RBIs in three games. Castro is batting .278 with 51 runs scored, 12 home runs, and 60 RBIs on the year. If the Cubs were to trade either of these young players to acquire an ace in Cole Hamels, it wouldn't be a bad decision. They still have the No. 1 overall prospect in all of baseball (third baseman Kris Bryant) who they're expected to call up either this year or by spring training, and the 20-year-old Addison Russell will continue to develop to eventually fill in for one of these players in the event of a trade. Although Hamels is owed over $100 million, he's signed through 2019, so Chicago will get a lot out of him and build around an experienced veteran. On top of that, the Chicago could potentially have the youngest and most talented infield with Anthony Rizzo at first base, Javier Baez/Addison Russell at second base, Starlin Castro/Addison Russell at shortstop, and Kris Bryant at third base.
Although a trade might not be imminent for Hamels, Texas Rangers outfielder Alex Rios could be on the move. He cleared waivers on Thursday evening and is now eligible to be traded, which has a good chance of happening because he was garnering interest prior to the July 31 deadline. A number of contenders could use outfield depth heading into the postseason, especially the Pittsburgh Pirates who are without Andrew McCutchen for at least two weeks.
In other news, the Los Angeles Angels acquired right-handed reliever Vinnie Pastano from the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a trade with Philadelphia to acquire starter Roberto Hernandez within the past 12 hours.
Check out ESPN's MLB Rumors page to keep up with the latest information.
