Lines of communication between the Phillies and the agent for Cole Hamels are open and the negotiations are reaching a critical stage, Jim Salisbury at CSNPhilly.com reports. Hamels, a free agent after the 2012 season, is expected to become a trade chip if the Phillies don’t sign him long-term.
Not much has changed since Spring Training, Salisbury reports. The Phillies appear to be comfortable paying Hamels close to $24MM per season (the same range as Cliff Lee), but the sides haven’t agreed on the length of the potential extension. Initially the Phillies wanted to complete a four-year deal, but it’s likely the team is now willing to offer more years. However, John Boggs, the agent for Hamels, could target a six or seven-year contract.
I could see them doing 6 (or 5 with an extremely easy vesting option) but no way they go 7 guaranteed years.
I know negotiation tactics and all that… but four years is an insult when you just gave a 32 year old pitcher a 5 year contract.
It’s that old adage.. “it’s just one more” you know. Somebody higher up in the Philly ownership has got to understand they can’t be giving out huge contracts at massive amounts forever at guys who are going to be on the far side of 30 when they expire.
Not going to mention the ones normally do and feel for Philly in the Hamels case where he is a guy they should have thought of ahead IMO before at least one other.
So you give guys on the younger side of 30 long term deals. That works well. Troy Tulowitzki anyone?
the difference is you are going to be getting 6 prime years not 2-3 years like Lee
I’ll be alright with 6. Phillies are going to be swimming in cash when they get the new TV deal.
Exactly. They need guys like Valle and Brown to start living up to their potential. They can fill out the rotation with guys like JRod, May, and Pettibone by the end of next year. Biddle should be ready in two years or so (could see action in AA by the end of this year).
Can someone explain to me why a team that seems to most definitely be on the downswing would invest that much money in a pitcher?
Because he’s only 28? And the team has the biggest payroll in the league, so the ‘downswing’ is not going to be protracted.
Matter of fact, with everyone healthy they should be a contender again next season.
*will be.
offense still needs help.
Utley is a big loss and there’s no guarantee on his health.
Problem this year has been pitching. Offense is pretty much on par with last season’s team.
last years offense stuck also…remember game 5 at home…1-0…Their offense has been in decline since 09…think about it
The offense’s problem is their inability to drive in fundamental runs. New players aren’t going to fix the guys already here.
“Should be a contender again next season”, what makes you think that?
Howard, Utley and Rollins are old. Victorino is as good as gone. Their outfield isn’t good aside from Pence. Ruiz is very likely to regress. Their closer is paid $11 mill a year (great move for a sub .500 team), and their minor league system is ranked in the bottom tier.
Additionally, the Nationals are on a 95 win pace this season and will likely be better next year with full seasons from Strasburg and Harper. The Braves will be healthy again, the Marlins have a better core than the Phillies, and the Mets… well, you never know what might happen with them.
Phillies need to sell now and sell aggressively. They aren’t going anywhere in this division any time soon and another long term $25 mil/yr contract for a pitcher is not going to fill the major holes that the team has in LF, 2b, 3b, SS, or CF.
You’re entitled to your opinion. I do not agree with most of your post.
If we are going to be civil about things, I am going to like your response… though I was kind of hoping for a prolonged internets shouting match…
First off the marlins are bad. Over rated over hyped and managed by a maniac. That being said the phillies are talented when healthy. While I
Do agree that it’s no safe bet that they will be 100% healthy again but 75% utley and Howard are still really good and I’m not even a phillies fan. Tue out field market is flooded this off season and the phillies practically print their own money. They will easily find replacement for Vic. As for their farm system. The white sox are proof that a bad farm system
Means nothing. They are in 1 st place with 10 rookies on the roster.
VICTORINO IS NOT THAT GOOD THATS WHY. When you have a payroll like the Phils plus a new tv deal coming and the fact that they only have howard paps and Lee after 2014 and now that Halladay 2013 wont be vesting they need a pitcher to build the staff around. A world series MVP and top 3 in baseball at the age of 27, you will be getting all his prime years under this contract would be a very good building block. you can build through the FA over the next year or so.
You’re getting his age 28-34/35 seasons in an era where the young ace pitchers of this league are getting locked up to long term deals before they can hit free agency.
They should be contenders next year and money continues to come off the books after 2014. Really, they’re only stuck with Howard, Lee, Papelbon, and Rollins.
Howard + Lee + Papelbon + Rollins = $72 million
Add another $25 mil in there for Cole and you have about $100 million tied up in 5 players, 2 of which are guaranteed to significantly under perform their contracts and 1 is a reliever.
Who is guaranteed to under-perform their contact aside from Howard? Rollins is on pace for a 4 WAR season this year and he and Lee will have just 1 year left on their contracts by that point.
Rollins is on pace for 4 WAR? All I saw was an OPS of like 700 last time I saw his stat line… Well, color me surprised.
Because ops is the only stat that goes in the WAR
OPS is the only stat that matters
Defense is pretty important too bro.
and $89 million to spend on the rest of the roster.
its funny how people just bash this team when in reality they can build through FA this off season and the next. Utley 15 millions comes off next season and halladay 20 million. Pence 15 million ( I assuming that is what he will get in his last arb) that’s 50 million in one off-season. This is the reason why the Phillies need to sign Cole and build around him. There are only two lefties in baseball I would rather have than Cole, Kershaw and CC. This is such a no brainer this team can do things that small market teams cannot do because of the Fans going to the game and able to sustain the 180 million payroll. Plus with all of this winning their tv deal is up in 2014. I personally think you can move Howard, granted they will have to eat money but its possible.
Well Halladay’s contract is up after next year as well. So, isn’t it a smart move to sign a 28 year old to a long term deal. I’d give him 6 with a vesting option for 7 any day of the week. He’ll finish up at age 34 or 35. He’s not a gas guy so he will be very effective into his late 30’s with that change up and his location.
because even though they are old they could have 1 good run in them. plus they have a ton of money coming off the books over the 3 years. Just this year 30 million will be free. Hamels makes 15 million this year so only giving him a bump to 20 and structure the contract to eventually bump the it to 25 million. you can go get a 3rd basemen and CF and LF with that money.
Amaro is going crazy… but I support him if he is able to make Hamels stay.
ignore my avatar…. trade him for 1-2 blue chip pitching prospects and a few other players… why pay him 100+ mill when you can get a young guy who will be just as good. look at the cahill trade, a’s got jared parker and he’s just as good as cahill and cost controlled for a lot longer
Who is it exactly that is going to be “Just as Good” as Hamels?
People are so disrespectful towards Cole. He is the 3rd best lefty in baseball right now and you will getting all his prime years with this extension i just dont get it.
Kershaw & Sabbathia are numbers one and two?
Yes in that order
I know, and just look at the haul the As got for Mark McGwi… oh, that’s right. TJ Mathews, Eric Ludwick, and Blake Stein. All busts.
While I’m in favor of trading Hamels IF it’s guaranteed that Rube will not be permitted to offer Cole a deal he’d be willing to sign, as long as we can lock him up long term, we need to do that. This isn’t a team that can tear everything down quickly and rebuild; as mentioned above, we have too much money tied up long-term in players who are on the wrong side of 30. A young guy who MAY be just as good sounds great… but if he’s not, or if he won’t be in the next couple years, then he’ll be hitting his prime at just about the same time the Phils turn into the Astros, which helps not at all.
your not going to get that type of deal because he a FA after this year??? Cahill was still under contract for 3 years correct??
this new tv deal, is this legit? and wouldnt this add money to the team for payroll? i dont live in philly now, so i miss out on a lot of team news like that? i heard about it a while back…but didnt really know the specifics?
A prospect like Olt sounds tempting, but it doesn’t compare to losing your homegrown ace to a desperate team like the Dodgers.
It’s probably best to meet his asking price now (and maybe get a slight discount) and not have to worry about another team offering something unmatchable. You also take the chance that he might end up liking the organization he gets traded to better.
… and it’d be nice to see him spend his entire career in a Phillies uniform, which is what the fan in me ultimately wants to see.
Just about every pitcher will be looking for more than Halladay got. He is the one that took the major discount (not Lee), yet every one credits Lee.
Only true holes I see are 3rd base and CF. I expect CF to be a free agent acquisition such as Upton or Bourn. Left Field will be Brown/Mayberry. SS is still Rollins who this year is the #5 SS in baseball according to WAR. Finally 2nd base its a risk, but I really do think Utley will be there to start the season. He’s had 2 years to learn how to manage his condition.
Yes, 3rd base sucks. Worst case they bring back Polanco on his $5M option. LF its Brown/Mayberry. There is no question that Brown can hit, hopefully he’ll have refined his defense enough this year. From all reports he’s been very good in CF in AAA.
Every team has holes, but if the Phils can throw out Hamels/Lee/Halladay out there I think they’ll be alright.
LF it has to be Brown/Mayberry so $1M
#5 SP they can go internal with a guy like Cloyd or get someone on a cheap-o one year deal so $1-3M
CF I’d go after Bourn or Upton – so say 4/50 deal putting it at $12-13M
3B -Polanco at 3rd again if we cant get someone in a trade – $5M
That brings the total to about $20M. That still leaves $5M to get a setup guy, I’m hoping they can bring back Madson on a one year deal.
Back loading makes no difference in dealing with the luxury tax.
The luxury tax is meaningless for first/second time offenders. We have the money to spend.
I think they could. One sneaky option is bringing back Victorino – wants to stay and since he’s had a bad year could be a bargain.
Brown is hurt. I would love for them to after Bourne, I hated when they got rid of him
Its pretty much the only spot they can fill in from within. Sink or swim time for Brown.
No way do I want any part of Upton.
Is that Jason Bourne you are referring to?
Funny cuz Reynolds is garbage.
Price and Sale are not at Cole’s level yet.
Lee didn’t even take that much of a discount.
Howard’s injury had nothing to do with age. The Phillies age is overblown.
Young players also get hurt.
Price is.
Yeah…if any.
I think he’s close, but if all is equal (contract, age, etc) 30/30 GMs would take Hamels. Basing it purely on the pitcher now. After all Hamels is only getting better as well