The Philadelphia Phillies have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. Cole Hamels is apparently fed up with that drought and is not optimistic of what's to come. Will he be traded in the near future or before the July 31 deadline?
Bob Nightengale of USA Today sat down with Hamels for an extensive interview to talk about the veteran's uncertain future. The Phillies are in the middle of a rebuilding period and their star left-hander is currently stuck in the middle of it as the front office fights to get exactly what they want in return for him in a trade.
General manager Ruben Amaro recently noted eight teams have contacted him about Hamels and he received four "real" offers for the left-hander. However, no deal has been made and no deal has seemingly come close to getting done. The 31-year-old Hamels previously said Philadelphia is ultimately the place he wants to be, but winning "trumps everything" for him.
"I just want to win,'' Hamels told Nightengale. "That's all. That's all any competitor wants. And I know it's not going to happen here."
"I want to be in the playoffs every year. That's where you make a name for yourself. It's not about the Cy Young awards and MVP awards. It's about winning championships. You want to be in a place where you have a chance to win."
Rumors and reports suggest the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres are the top destinations for Hamels, if the Phillies were to ever pull the trigger on a deal they felt was sufficient. It's unknown how deep into discussions the Dodgers and Cardinals reached with the Phillies, but it's clear they need insurance atop their rotations. Los Angeles is potentially facing the departure of Zack Greinke after 2015 and the Cardinals might be dealing with lingering injury issues to Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha.
As for the Red Sox and Padres, they've perhaps achieved the most serious talks with the Phillies. Boston has been in contact with Philadelphia about Hamels since before the 2014 trade deadline and the two have exchanged multiple offers. However, the Red Sox refuse to surrender either Blake Swihart or Mookie Betts - two prospects Amaro covets. On the other hand, it's been reported the Phillies feel the Padres "might not have enough" (in terms of prospects) to get a deal done. Reports suggest Amaro recently rejected an "aggressive" offer from San Diego.
Nonetheless, what all these teams have in common is that they've shown a penchant for winning in recent seasons and/or have made significant moves this offseason to propel themselves into contention for 2015 and beyond. Although Hamels said he would prefer a trade to the Midwest or West Coast because that's where his family is located, at this point it sounds as if he just wants to get back to being in the postseason. And a serious contender wouldn't hesitate to pay the maximum $100 million over four years or $120 million over five years on his contract (depending on whether they pick up his player or vesting option).
"In the grand scheme of things, we have a very small window in our lives," Hamels added. "You understand this is going to end. The Phillies will go on forever, but we know our careers are going to end."
