The Philadelphia Phillies don’t want to lose lefthander Cole Hamels to free agency. As such, they’re getting ready to offer him a substantial amount of money, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman:
The Phillies are sending signals that they are planning to make an initial offer to star lefthanded pitcher Cole Hamels for about $130 million over six years within the next few days, sources familiar with the team’s thinking told CBSSports.com.
The length of the deal and the amount are said to be similar to what Matt Cain got from the San Francisco Giants — $112.5 million over a five-year extension, plus the $15 million Cain had already in this year’s deal, totalling $127.5 million over six seasons.
Cain is a great pitcher. So is Hamels. But the Phillies have struggled this year, and with them growing old, they might not be as good as the Giants in the near term, which is what Hamels might be thinking.
Whatever happens, it’s likely to happen soon:
The Phillies want to have a resolution to the Hamels situation within a week or so because if they can’t extend Hamels they will want to have the option to trade him by the July 31 trade deadline. The Rangers, Angels, Dodgers and many other teams will be interested if he’s available in trade.
We, as always, await developments, and they could come quickly.
For more on the Phillies, please visit The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly.