Earlier in the offseason it was reported a number of baseball executives believed the Philadelphia Phillies front office is "out of touch" with the market for starter Cole Hamels. The team likely lost another potential trade partner this week when the San Diego Padres signed James Shields to a four-year deal.
According to FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, the Padres made an "aggressive offer" for Hamels, but it was apparently rejected - an action parallel with an anonymous source's assessment last month, which revealed the Phillies believe the Padres might "not have enough" to get a deal done. San Diego moved on this week and signed Shields to bolster their starting rotation. They've became the second team this offseason to reach serious discussions with the Phillies, only to be turned down to seek other options.
The Texas Rangers were said to have reached "in-depth" talks with Philadelphia for Hamels earlier in the offseason, but the two had a dispute about how much money the Phillies would cover in the left-hander's contract. When the discussions fell through the Rangers acquired starter Yovani Gallardo from the Milwaukee Brewers.
"The Phillies want a lot from teams interested in Hamels - premium talent, plus a complete escape from his remaining financial obligation," writes Rosenthal. "Their inflexibility on paying down Hamels' contract makes little sense - the Phils possess mountains of cash, and by pricing Hamels at Shields' level, they could have demanded a better package from the Padres. The front office's stubbornness, though, appears to go even deeper, whether it's Amaro or Gillick who is actually calling the shots. The Phillies refuse to accept that they might not get exactly what they want."
Hamels is owed at least $100 million over the next four seasons or a maximum of $120 million over the next five (if his $24 million vesting option kicks in for the 2019 season). The Phillies want to have their cake and eat it by ridding the entirety of Hamels' contract while inheriting three top prospects, one of which can make an "immediate impact." They've apparently already shunned two clubs with deep farm systems (Rangers and Padres) and are playing tug-o-war with the Boston Red Sox hoping they will include either catcher Blake Swihart or outfielder Mookie Betts in a package for Hamels. If they continue to be precarious, they could lose their top suitor in Boston.
It's not just Hamels they're being difficult with. The Phillies are also in talks with the Milwaukee Brewers regarding a trade for closer Jonathan Papelbon, but they're having disputes over player compensation and how much of Papelbon's vesting option they'll cover in the event he finishes 48 games for the Brewers. For a team in a rebuilding phase, there is little reason for them to absorb nearly $37 million in each of the next two seasons for two players they don't really need (Hamels is owed $23.5 million and Papelbon is owed $13 million).
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a couple of weeks, so the Phillies are running out of time to execute these trades. If they wait until the July 31 trade deadline, they're going to risk having the value decrease for these two pitchers in the event they perform poorly or suffer an injury. And Philadelphia won't be saving money because they'll be signing off on their paychecks until they get traded.
Based on the current state of affairs, Amaro might be right when he told reporters Hamels will "probably" be pitching for the Phillies on Opening Day.
