Cole Hamels, free-agent starting pitcher and forever Philadelphia sports heartthrob, will hold a showcase for teams on July 16 in Frisco, Texas per a report from Jon Heyman.
Many of the top contenders in the league will be in attendance for a Cole Hamels self-held workout on Friday, including the Philadelphia Phillies. Heyman also reported the rival New York Mets will be there, and Joel Sherman reports that the New York Yankees will also be sending scouts to watch Hamels pitch. There are rumors of 10+ teams doing their due diligence on the former all-star.
If you’re a fan of all Philadelphia sports, then retreads are nothing new to you. The Phillies need pitching and Hamels would only cost you money ahead of the trade deadline, as opposed to prospects, capital, and/or money.
Hamels Great Career So Far
When healthy, Hamels, 37, has still produced at a high level in the last few years. In his last full year with the Chicago Cubs, Hamels posted a 3.81 ERA, with 143 strikeouts in 141 2/3 innings back in 2019. He did sign with the rival Atlanta Braves before the 2020 season for one year, $18 million, but was only able to pitch 3.1 innings due to various injuries. I like to assume that the Phillies sent Hamels on a covert ops mission to help destroy the Braves from the inside but I have not reached out to Hamels or the Phillies for confirmation if this was the plan (it wasn’t).
Prior to 2020, Hamels had tossed at least 130 innings every season from 2006-2019 and never posted an ERA above 4.32 during that stretch. No one knows what Hamels has left in the tank, but after getting a full year to recover, the Phillies could take a chance on a former franchise icon, and 2008 NLCS & World Series MVP.
Philadelphia fans can only hope that if the Phils sign Cole, they capture some of the magic they captured when they signed Pedro Martinez back in 2009 when he was also 37 years old. And who can forget the last time we saw Hamels in a Phillies uniform?
The six-year anniversary of his no-hitter is right around the corner. Signing him now would be poetic. Regardless, Hamels will be embraced by the fans and will be worth the risk for the Phillies as they gear up for the final two months of the season. And worse comes to worst, why not let Hamels retire in a Phillies’ uniform, anyways?
Photo Credit: Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire
