Cole Hamels is looking for one more shot at continuing his baseball career, and told The Associated Press that he is hoping to catch on with a new team this offseason. “A Spring Training invite is no risk, all reward. If you start me out in February, I’ll be ready by April 1,” Hamels said. “Or I’ll know exactly I can’t do it, and I will be the first one to admit, nope, I had a great career. I can hang it up and be proud of what I did.”
The left-hander is a veteran of 15 Major League seasons (2006-20), and is best remembered as one of the key figures of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series team. Hamels was named the MVP of both the NLCS and World Series during that championship season, the highlight of an excellent 10-year run in Philadelphia. After being traded to the Rangers in 2015, Hamels spent parts of four seasons in Texas before heading to the Cubs in 2018-19, and then one single game with the Braves in 2020.
That lone game represents Hamels’ last appearance in the big leagues. Triceps and shoulder injuries limited his time in Atlanta, and after he inked a $1MM deal with the Dodgers in August 2021, his Los Angeles stint was also derailed by injuries. Continued shoulder problems resulted in surgery, and Hamels has now spent over a year both recovering and taking care of some other related health issues.
The shoulder procedure was only one of three surgeries for Hamels over the last year, as he also dealt with a pinched nerve in his left foot and a torn right meniscus. “It’s hard to train when you’ve got body parts that are not doing what they’re supposed to do to allow you to do what you want to do,” Hamels said, and the fuller scope of surgeries allowed for more “understanding what was kind of wrong, getting it fixed and then actually being able to rehab it, just kind of addressing the right areas and not trying to overcompensate.”
This cleaner bill of health could make any interested teams feel more comfortable about signing a pitcher who turns 39 later in December, and who essentially hasn’t pitched in three full seasons. However, as Hamels noted, there isn’t much risk in a minor league contract, and clubs can use spring camp as a better chance to evaluate what the southpaw can still bring to the table. While Hamels would ideally like to start games, his primary goal is just getting back onto the mound, as he said he is “not opposed” to working as a reliever.
Yay
Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! Only if Hamels pays the team to let him pitch. A pure money grabber.
This can be blooms ‘experience’ hire
*ahem* That’s COKE Hamels to you, per Heyman.
Coke Hamels nearing a deal with the Giants.
Painfully funny Joe.
Where is Ron Washington coaching these days?
lies.
Coke Hamels nearing a deal with Father Time.
“It’s hard to train when you’ve got body parts that are not doing what they’re supposed to do”. It’s called aging Coke.
Coke, well the “Rockstar GM” gonna want him
Imagine if Coke Hamels faced an Arson Judge? The suspense is killing me!
Uh ok, apologies in advance…..Richard Pryor has entered the chat….
Wow. cpdpoet with the amazing reference. 10/10
thnx vph, helps being GenX…..his specials were VCR gold in HS…..
Lol… if he is with the giants, that would mean the Yankees and the Giants would be in the World Series. The Yankees would have to get past the Astros, Mariners, or a host of others. That won’t happen for 20 years. Lol
Well, they do also play the first regular season series of ‘23…..
But my reference was a pun on the names that Heyman messed up…. in other words… cocaine guy v an arson magistrate…..
Well pretty god chance Judge stokes out
@cd “cole i’m right here in the other room”
that stand up special after rich lite himself up was pure gold
Don’t tell Cashman clip. This looks like a perfect reclamation project that Cashman loves. A perfect buy low project for blake.
That’s all we need, is more over the hill veterans.
The Yankees should sign him so he can play along with Arson Judge
Hmmm, maybe the Pirates or Royals could give him a shot or the A’s.
My immediate thought was similar Then I remembered hearing a few of his interviews. I’m sure his ego precludes him ever signing with the Pirates
Can’t believe he’s coming back for a last place club to be traded at the deadline. I’m thinking the Phillies or some other playoff ready club where he’s already ‘been there and done that”.
Jake, not bad guesses…Knowing the Halo’s as I do they’ll probably sign him…Did it with Lincecum…Harvey…the list goes on..
Not really Jake, Pirates need young hood starting pitchers, Hamels is old and seems to retire soon.
A vet among all the young pitchers can’t be a bad think. Think Burnett and Quintana.
If he’s seeking a minor league deal with a spring invite, then every team can give him a shot – not just the ragamuffins of the league.
The perfect fit would be the Phillies, back to his glory days.
This guy did wonders for Max Fried’s career. Respect.
Guessing someone will give him 2/40 in this market =)
@trumbo he is a lefty with a pulse he will get 10 @ 500mil
Brodie, yea you are probably closer than I am. Forgot he was a lefty.
@trumbo i wish i was just joking but how often do we see lefties past being serviceable still getting shots.
btw before you all re me i wish the best for cole but let’s be honest at this point he’s better off as a coach at this point. dose the man really have anything left in the tank to really help out a club. (btw i’m asking for a whaler’s fan)
He is right about it being no risk to sign him to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. Perfect veteran fit for the Orioles.
BiL, I was thinking the same thing. Go to a team that’s on the cusp.
@bblife at this point dose he have anything left, i appreciate the will and desire but at this point other than being a coach what does he bring to the table
Be a good fit for a split contract. Win win for both sides with little risk
Chaim’s rebound signing?
Not crazier than Heyward
I think there’s no better team to do it with than the Phillies, the team where it all started.
Dodgers
Definitely possible.
There’s actually no room for him there because they got some young kids with high ceilings coming up. They need to get some innings this year. Would be a nice story though.
Von, I think there is room. He can extend the rotation and help save those young kids some innings. He could be a mentor for guys like Falter and he connects the current core to the legends of the late 2000s.
I’d be all about it if he looks good. Hey, the Mets have 2 older guys in their rotation.
I’m curious to see what his velocity is with his age and recent injury history.
Hahahahah 1 more old guy never hurt anyone.
Never understood the point in having a veteran pitcher wasting a roster spot and salary to be a mentor when they have coaches who do the exact same thing and teach them how to do play and adjust their mechanics
LHV had an issue having guys take down innings to supplement the innings the young guys threw. If nothing else he could help them.
Have him sign a coaches contract and pitch batting practice.
Yeah. Throw him a bone and see how he looks in Clearwater. Can’t hurt. He can teach the kids a thing or 2 while he battles for a spot.
Hamels wont accept staying in the minors ling enough to mentor anyone. Je is so full of himself and his abilities. Fact is he sees the $M’s other guys are making and wants some. He really just wants someone to fool enough to offer him some. Either he makes the big leagues out of Spring Training, or he’ll go elsewhere. He is in it for $1M or nothing. That is if he makes it out of Spring Training in one piece.
Agree
WELCOME TO DETROIT…………….COLE HAMELS……….COME ON DOWN !!! This is just up Harris alley, nothing lost to bring him in.
Dodgers
He was on the Dodgers actually for 2021 but just dipped.
Since Hamels just wants an NRI, I doubt prior history with a team will preclude any of his previous orgs from pursuing him. Like he said, it’s no risk, all reward
Andrew Friedman is foaming at the mouth.
THE TWINS WILL BE HOT FOR HAMELS
Phillies. Just give him a shot and let him finish his career where he belongs.
Either way he’ll have a ceremonial 1 day contract and retire as a Phillie.
I hope so. It was nice seeing him at the World Series ceremonies last season.
Dodgers need him
He was on the Dodgers
He should report to the Braves and see what he can do!
Already was on the Braves but possible.
IMO still owes us after the one start an 18m fiasco!
He was still a Philly at heart. That was intentional. (I’m not being serious obviously.)
Haha is it bad I was immediately like, “oh, with his age and experience he will probably go to the Mets”.
I would like to see him in a Phillies uniform again though… that would be neat.
Isn’t he the one who threw at Harper early on though just to “welcome him to the big leagues”?
The Rangers would love to have him as depth
He was once my favorite player. I would love to see this happen.
I think a lot of teams would take a flyer on a minor league contract and see what he can do. Probably need spring training and some minor league starts. He is basically a lottery ticket that could turn very good
I suppose if your Cole, you don’t do “workout” for scouts to attend?
He saw all the money Scherzer and Verlander were getting and decided he wants to make a comeback
“I wish we’d had him 2 years ago.
We did.
Four years ago then.”
Ah but is the mlb preparing for a cole hamels comeback. Sarcasm aside, it’d not gonna work
If he’s willing to accept a 2 way contract then the Astros could be a fit
With Verlander moving on and the Astros liking a 6 man rotation it may allow them to trade Garcia or Urquidy for a LH bat
Of course that deal would not be until the end of spring training after he made the team.
Your not serious are you? Why in the world would we sign a guy with his injury history, age, and declining fastball? We still have a 6 man rotation. Minus JV, add Hunter Brown. What got us our second ring was the young pitching. Famber is a mega beast, Garcia, uriquidy,Brown, Javier, plus we still have Whitley, Seth Martinez, Parker Mushinski, all ready and waiting. I would rather see them tie up a roster spot then it taken by Hamels. Good Pitcher, dominance in the Phillies prime, but he needs to move on to coaching
What is the downside on a two way contract and waiting till he makes the team or burns out before making a further deal.
hope he gets into a rotation, want to see him rack up some K’s
The obvious play…my Phillies need to give him the invitation to camp with a minor league deal. No expectations, but come on home to Philly and either write an interesting final chapter to the career, or hang out for a couple of months and then have a one day retirement contract and press conference. He even said that he would consider the bullpen, which leaves the door open a crack.
Funny, so am I.
The most important question is how old is this guy? Why does the writer wait until the last paragraph? First sentence should have started “Cole hammers who is 39 and had not pitched competitively since . . .”
Too young for the Mets.
The fact that he would be the 3rd oldest pitcher on that rotation is insane. Other fun fact, Hamels and current Met David Robertson were both in the 2009 World Series.
Probably going to the Mets on a minor league deal
Will NOT be surprised if this guy gets 300 mil – 10 year contract the way things are going this year.
They are still selling a Authentic Braves Hamels jersey on Fanatics for like $230 lmao dude pitched 4 innings for the Braves. Think he got 20M.
Negotiations with the Red Sox have broken down. Chaim Bloom said “we made a competitive offer”.
Clearly he learned the ropes from the great Mark Shapiro. Never give a straight answer, lull them to sleep with business speak, every time you lose out on a FA say you made a competitive offer, and never ever let a World Series appearance get onto your resume.
Based on winter meetings 8 years 150M.
I’m sure some mlb team will invite him to spring training. A bunch of older pitchers or around the same age just got massive high AAV contracts.
“Met” him a few times a couple years ago in like the span of 2 weeks, here in chicago. He’s hard to miss if you know what he looks like….
First 2 times he was with his kids and I said something like “philly guy here would love to see you in pinstripes again..” Not yelling or impeding them from walking…….kids looked like tweens? Didn’t want to be an a-hole or anything…..
Last time he was alone, we kinda locked eyes and he smiled, stopped and offered his hand. He laughed and said hey btw thanx, I replied just want you to know we still appreciate you in Philly wherever you go….He laughed again and I know…..
Cool dude….
Sounds like a much nicer person than Tim Meadows.
Tim knows a right winger when he sees one.
Well that would be a rather bigoted way to go through one’s life if someone treated others differently based upon their perceived viewpoints.
Haha just a shot for posting political comments.. I apologize.
I met him in the Citifield tunnel after a Met game. He was wearing the fanciest winter coat and scarf I had ever seen. I immediately saw Matt Stairs right after who was wearing a plain t-shirt and ripped jeans. Both dudes were super nice and I wasn’t even trying to talk to them. But the dichotomy of the two outfits was quite a hilarious sight, and perfectly defines each players’ personality.
Stalker
Would like to see these teams stop retreading these older guys that don’t give you much and no hustle. Time to cleanse the leaugue of all these guys trying to get a couple million to padded there wallets. Too many washout taking roster spots of young guys that are better.
That’s been their life, can’t fault them giving it one more shot.
No I agree with you and I don’t blame them. I blame the owners, commissioner and FO who manipulate the players and game. whether it’s keep guys down on purpose, or changing balls, bases or whatever they can control to get what they want .
Changing the bases is to prevent injuries and I agree with the decision
Had he announced this earlier he could have been in our little contest.
Anyway , we’d have 30 different answers for him. Most being the Phillies , I suppose. Hope he makes an MLB roster, damn he was good.
I think having #35 back for bullpen depth would be fantastic. Agree with the earlier comment that he’d be able to mentor the kids and connect them to the big winning days. Hell it worked for Jamie Moyer!
At his age he’d fit right in with Mets.
The Astros have an opening for a left-handed reliever. If I were Hamels I would be interested in soliciting my services to them seeing how many guys have seen their careers turn around after passing through Houston.
I’m surprised one of my fellow Cardinals fans hasn’t chimed in with the old refrain, “You know, his wife is from St. Louis.”
I don’t even know if that’s true, but I’ve heard it his whole career.
It would be hilarious if he did land with STL, and in the presser (if there even would be one) he says he chose the Cards because his wife is allegedly from there. lol
I went ahead and looked it up. His wife, Heidi Strobel Hamels, is from Springfield, Mo.
A former Survivor contestant, Strobel met Hamels while throwing out the first pitch at a Clearwater Threshers (Phillies A+) game in 2004. The couple married in 2006 and have four children.
I’m sure she’s been to St. Louis more times than we can count – maybe even lived there – but she’s not necessarily “from St. Louis.”
There. Whew!
At home sitting on his BarcaLounger he saw the Ks being handed out and was like I want to feed at that trough.
LOL
We will find out in a week that the Pads offer was 14/240 million.
Bloom is foaming at the mouth for him
Poor Harry Kane. People will blame him for what happened, but England wasn’t strong enough in their defensive efforts.
My friend, I think you’re in the wrong place, and are very, very lost.
No shot this guy’s screen name was an English soccer reference all this time.
Me too.
No, their D was good. Walker made Mbappe a non-factor. The Three Lions created some good chances. It was just very uncharateristic for Kane to miss a PK. I hope Croatia crushes Argentina.
Mets and Padres in a bidding war for Hamels. Each offering 11-year contracts!!
sure why not a minor league contract and invite.
Can we sign Carlos Rodon?
No, we got Carlos Rodon at home.
The Carlos Rodon at home: Cole Hamels.
The man saw the money everyone is getting out there.
Because over 200 million just isn’t enough money to make. That having been said, maybe Pittsburgh or K.C. could give him a shot.
Has Dodgers written all over it
Padres for minor league with ST invite. He grew up in SD if I’m not mistaken and Padres need another starter. If he can go, it’s a win. If he can’t, then let him go for nothing.
Detroit to sign him
Detroit will sign him
Who remembers when Hamels admitted to intentionally plunking Harper with a fastball to the back to welcome him to the big leagues? Hamels should never be allowed to pitch because of that
I remember watching that game. Harper got immediate revenge, 5 SBs off Hamels, and the 1 in that inning of home.
Lol. Players used to do that all the time. Baseball has moved away from that, for the better, but let’s not act like he was the only pitcher to ever do that. Was fairly common.
Washington needs bodies and tutelage for Gore, Cavalli and Gray.
Funny. When I read the headline I wondered if he’d be open to being a reliever as I thought I’d love to see him back in a Cubs jersey, especially since we need more LH relievers…. And then I made it all the way to the last sentence.
Everyone has more fun when Coke is around.
Reminds me of another ex Phil Steve Carlton who kept trying to capture the old magic and stayed around too long.
Yankees Sign him to a minor league contract and will be in the Yankees spring training. It’s a Brian cashman special. He loves to catch lighting out of a bottle. Taking small risks. Heard it here first.
Yankees Sign him to a minor league contract and will be in the Yankees spring training. It’s a Brian cashman special. He loves hto catch lighting out of a bottle. Taking small risks. Heard it here first.
My mama said if I ain’t got nothing nice to say……. I mean I break that rule all the time but uh……. I mean good luck.
Braves Legend
Brewers?
Fighting with Jamie Moyer for a roster spot somewhere?
The Mets need to check in on Bartolo.
Yeah. Maybe they can check in on Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack while they’re at it
What, no love for Pete Falcone?
Money for nothin’…
At the current market for injury prone and soon to be 40 pitcher market he probably gets 25 million. Just look at jv
This winter Hamels might land 3 years 50 million.