MLB Trade Rumors: Philadelphia Phillies Must Keep Cole Hamels

The 2012 season has been nothing but disastrous for the Phillies thus far. The Phillies have played exactly half of their schedule and it hasn’t been pretty. They currently reside in last place of the NL East with a record of 36-45.

Ryan Howard has still not played a game for the Phillies as he and Roy Halladay currently remain on the disabled list. For the Phillies to make the postseason, they will likely need to win 88-plus games. If they finish the season 52-29, they will hit exactly 88 wins on the season.

Many fans have given up on the Phillies this season suggesting that they should start auctioning off their biggest asset: Cole Hamels.

This would be a massive mistake for the Phillies. It’s perplexing why they haven’t already given Hamels the huge extension that he deserves. The southpaw is 28 years old and might be the best left-handed pitcher in the game.

He also won the Phillies a World Series in 2008. Homegrown talent is supposed to be taken care of, and yet, Jon Heyman reports the Phillies are supposedly shopping their only superstar in the prime of his career. 

The idea makes little sense. This is an aging ball club that got old really, really fast. The Phillies entire infield is over 30 years old. Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are both in their thirties, too.

Hamels is going to be seeking a huge pay day, but it’s well deserved. He has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball for several years. He is young and left-handed, a coveted combination in baseball.

If the Phillies organization has truly decided that this team is too old to win, the last thing they should be doing is trading Cole Hamels. A more intelligent move would be trying to trade Lee so they could free up more money for Hamels.

A much smarter idea would be to build around Hamels, who has a lot of baseball left in that left arm.

Unfortunately, this Phillies team is sinking fast. They are currently on life support and the return of Howard and Halladay will likely be too little too late.

The Phillies ultimately need to get younger and there will be changes made. Hamels should be re-signed, but I think the Phillies would have done it already if they were going to. It’s unfortunate because he never received the love from Phillies fans that he deserved.

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MLB 2012: 6 Storylines That Will Last Through All Star Break

As we move closer to the midsummer classic, we also move closer to the “dog days of summer.” This is the time of the season when baseball fans begin to learn a lot about their teams.

With the new postseason format, one more team will make the playoffs in each league. This could very well change the shape of MLB this summer, which could lead to some unexpected teams becoming buyers at the trading deadline. 

With each day that passes, we’re that much closer to the excitement of baseball during the stretch run. Here are some of the biggest story-lines that are sure to last through the All-Star break and into the “dog days of summer.”

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Dissecting Ruben Amaro Jr.s’ Job as the Phillies G.M.

In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, their second in the history of the franchise. Following that historic run Pat Gillick, the general manager, retired. This decision opened the door for Ruben Amaro Jr. to become the Phillies current general manager.

Based on simply on-the-field success, it appears that Amaro Jr. has done a fine job in his first three-plus seasons in the position. The Phillies went back to the World Series in 2009, went to the NLCS in 2010, and went back to the playoffs again last season. This has been the golden era of the franchise and Amaro Jr. has been right in the middle of it. 

However, Amaro Jr. has also made many questionable decisions that have put this lucrative franchise in a bit of a financial bind. 

With Cole Hamels set to become a free-agent following this season, many of Amaro Jr.s’ trades and contract extensions need to be closely examined.

One move that has greatly benefited this team was the acquisition of Roy Halladay. Nobody can question the decision to bring in the games best pitcher to Philadelphia. He has been simply brilliant in the past three seasons and has shown little signs of decline.

On the other hand, the Cliff Lee trade must be more closely examined. Bringing him into the fold in 2009 was a great success and helped the team get back to the World Series. Following the acquisition of Roy Halladay, Amaro Jr. traded Lee to Seattle. This was a massive failure and the team received average minor league talent in return for one of the game’s best pitchers.

Many of Amaro Jr.’s contract extensions are more than questionable moves. Joe Blanton signed a three -year extension under Amaro Jr. for close to $8.5 million per season. Quite frankly, this move was a head scratcher from the start and Blanton has been no better than a number four starter for this team during that time.

 

Shane Victorino has been extremely inconsistent since signing his extension. Brad Lidge signed a three year extension and was absolutely terrible during that time period. He was paid as one of the games top closers.

Above all, the Ryan Howard contract deserves the most criticism. Amaro Jr. extended Howard for reasons unknown. He was already 30 at the time, had shown signs of decline and had two seasons left on his current contract. Ruben Amaro Jr. decided this was an appropriate time to make Howard the second highest-paid first basemen in professional baseball.

According to Howard Eskin of 94WIP, Cole Hamels agent, John Boggs, is asking for a seven-year contract. A contract of this length could demand anywhere between $150-$175 million dollars on the open market. This would make him one of the highest paid pitchers in the game. One must wonder if the Phillies can afford to have another player on their roster that makes $20-plus million per season. (Spike Eskin, CBSphilly.com)

Teams in a major market don’t let their stars walk away. Especially if he’s a home-grown talent in the prime of his career. Not to mention that Hamels won the Phillies a World Series championship.

If Amaro Jr. can’t find a way to resign Hamels, he will have to do a lot more than explain it to Phillies fans; he will be explaining it to his bosses. It could cost him his job.

 

 

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‘The Man’ to the Man Who May Never Play Another Baseball Game

Chase Utley is a fan favorite. He will always have the hearts of the Philly faithful and deservedly so. That being said, we are far from the days of Chase Utley being an All-Star, or even seeing the diamond at all.

In the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees, Chase Utley was the best player on the field. He may have been the most complete hitter in baseball.

Since then, Utley has battled multiple debilitating injuries, including chronic chondromalacia in both knees.

The Phillies‘ lineup has not been the same these past three seasons. Utley’s presence has clearly been missed both on the field and in the clubhouse. He is a quiet leader who plays with passion. Unfortunately, that passion may have been his demise. Utley played so hard and with so much heart that he wore out. His body simply could not handle the wear and tear any longer.

For the Phillies, this is devastating. Whether or not Utley can return to the field is one thing, but whether or not he can return to All-Star form is another. The Phillies have a lot of money invested in him and thus far it has been all for nothing.

If we have seen Chase Utley for the last time, it was a great run. This was the greatest run of success in the history of the Phillies franchise. We all became spoiled over the last six or seven years. We should look back with a great deal of honor and happiness that we got to see a player like Utley for as long as we did. In professional sports, there are not too many players who leave it all on the line like Utley did for so long.

As the great Harry Kalas once said, “Chase Utley, you are the man!”

 

 

 

 

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