Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Phillies Rumors

Phillies Extend Cole Hamels

By | at

AUGUST 1: ESPN's Buster Olney has the salary breakdown (Twitter link). Hamels received a $6MM signing bonus and will earn $19.5MM in 2013. His annual salary from 2014-2018 will be $22.5MM. The option for 2019 can vest at $24MM, or the club can exercise it at $20MM with a $6MM buyout. All told, the contract could be worth up to $158MM across seven years.

JULY 25: The Phillies announced that they have signed Cole Hamels to a six-year contract extension worth at least $144MM. The contract, which includes limited no-trade protection for Hamels, includes an option for a seventh year.

Cole Hamels - Phillies (PW)

Hamels' extension will be the second-largest contract ever for a pitcher, trailing only C.C. Sabathia's seven-year, $161MM agreement with the Yankees. Hamels obtains the largest extension for any pitcher in history, surpassing Johan Santana's $137.5MM deal with the Mets. Hamels obtains the same average $24MM annual value as teammate Cliff Lee, who signed a five-year, $120MM contract with Philadelphia two offseason ago.

The 2019 option is either a club option at $20MM or a vesting option at $24MM, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The option vests if three conditions are met: Hamels is not on the disabled list with a left shoulder or elbow injury at the end of the 2018 season, and he pitches 200 innings in 2018, and he pitches 400 innings in 2017-2018 combined. If the club exercises its option, Hamels will earn $158MM over seven years. If the option vests, he'll earn $162MM over seven years ($1MM more than Sabathia).

Hamels, 28, has a 3.23 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 133 2/3 innings for the Phillies this year. He averaged 31 starts and 206 innings per season from 2007-11, his five first seasons in Philadelphia's rotation. Agent John Boggs represents Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP. The contract covers his age 29-34 seasons.

If Hamels had reached free agency, the California native would have drawn interest from many teams, including, perhaps, the Dodgers. Instead, teams looking to sign starting pitchers this coming offseason will set their sights on the likes of Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez and Edwin Jackson.

The Phillies now have three starters earning $20MM per season: Hamels, Lee and Roy Halladay. As ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports, there had never been a team with two $20MM per season starters until the 2012 Phillies took the field (Twitter link).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the sides were nearing an extension, ESPN.com's Buster Olney first reported the agreement, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the terms of the deal and Tim Dierkes of MLBTR first reported the details of the 2019 option. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Phillies Designate Mike Fontenot For Assignment

By | at

The Phillies announced that they designated infielder Mike Fontenot for assignment. The move creates roster space for utility player Michael Martinez, who has been recalled from Triple-A.

Fontenot, 32, has a .289/.343/.340 batting line in 105 plate appearances this year. He has split his time between second and third since signing a minor league deal with Philadelphia in April. Fontenot could interest teams seeking infield depth as a potential trade candidate.

NL East Notes: Pence, Victorino, Johnson

By | at

The Phillies traded Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino this morning and the Marlins followed up those moves by trading Gaby Sanchez and Edward Mujica later in the day. The Braves welcomed new acquisitions Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson to Atlanta, but deadline day was relatively quiet for the Mets and Nationals. Here are the latest notes from the NL East…

  • The Phillies are slightly under the luxury tax limit following today’s trades, GM Ruben Amaro told reporters, including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Phillies opened the season with a $172MM payroll, and the MLB luxury tax affects teams that spend more than $178MM.
  • At one point the Phillies considered trading Hunter Pence, obtaining a center fielder, and re-signing Shane Victorino for right field, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Instead, the Dodgers acquired Victorino, and the Giants traded for Pence.
  • Marlins right-hander Josh Johnson drew interest from the Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Reds and others, but Miami kept him, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes (on Twitter).
  • GM Mike Rizzo said the Nationals made all their splashy moves this past winter, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. "We like who we are, and we like where we’re at and we like the composition of the roster,” Rizzo said.

Minor Moves: Tuffy Gosewisch

By | at

There were lots of major moves prior to this afternoon's trade deadline, but here's a recap of the day's smaller transactions…

  • The Phillies sold catcher Tuffy Gosewisch to the Blue Jays, reports Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Toronto is currently without J.P. Arencibia and top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud due to injuries. The 28-year-old Gosewisch hit .192/.241/.310 in 228 plate appearances for Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate this season.

AL East Notes: Qualls, Blanton, Blue Jays, Beckett

By | at

The Yankees acquired Casey McGehee and the Red Sox acquired Craig Breslow, but the Blue Jays, Orioles and Rays remained relatively quiet on trade deadline day. Here’s the latest from the AL East…

  • The Yankees had planned to designate Chad Qualls for assignment to create roster space for Joba Chamberlain, so trading him to Pittsburgh wasn't a problem for the club, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees were in on Ryan Dempster, but talks "never got to crunch time," Marc Carig of the Star Ledger reports (on Twitter).
  • The Orioles continued general discussions about a possible Joe Blanton trade, but never took the next step, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter). "We would have liked to have done a deal or two today, but I don't think we're done adding to the team," executive VP Dan Duquette said, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Blue Jays were discussing a trade late Monday, only to see the deal fall apart, GM Alex Anthopoulos said, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (on Twitter). Griffin suggests the deal was with the Cubs, who were discussing trades involving Matt Garza last night.
  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said he didn’t ask Josh Beckett if he’d waive his ten and five rights, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (on Twitter).

D’Backs Tried To Acquire Ace Pitcher

By | at

5:33pm: The Diamondbacks were indeed working to acquire Garza today, Olney reports (on Twitter).

12:58pm: Lefty Patrick Corbin has been scratched from his start for Arizona's Triple-A affiliate, tweets Chris Gabel of the Reno Gazette-Journal.  Magruder has been told Corbin will not be moved, but says he guesses things could change in what Kevin Towers likes to call the "lightning round."

12:46pm: The Diamondbacks are not currently discussing a deal with the Cubs involving Upton and Garza, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  It was only Olney's speculation in the first place.

12:31pm: The D'Backs are "working hard on something big," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Olney feels that an Upton-Matt Garza framework makes sense for the Cubs and Diamondbacks.  Upton does have the Cubs on his no-trade list, notes Olney.

10:56am: Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick dismissed talk of acquiring Lee, Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com reports (Twitter links).  "He is owed $100MM. If they want to keep $90MM" Kendrick said. "Really problematic to move him."  Arizona would still like to acquire a starter, but Kendrick says we should not expect front page news.

8:37am: The Diamondbacks are one of the teams to which Lee can block a trade, notes Rosenthal.

8:08am: The Diamondbacks say Upton is definitely staying and there is no truth to rumors of Lee or Hernandez, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  That, of course, does not make Rosenthal's report of the D'Backs seeking an ace pitcher untrue.  Meanwhile, Nightengale notes that the club is likely to trade shortstop Stephen Drew today.

3:59am: The Diamondbacks are trying to swing a blockbuster for an unknown ace starting pitcher, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  One rival executive "received indications that the Phillies and Diamondbacks had discussed a deal involving Cliff Lee and Justin Upton," but that scenario is unconfirmed and it is not known whether the D'Backs are among the 21 teams to which Lee can block a trade.  Plus, Kevin Towers and company would need serious assistance covering the $95.1MM guaranteed to the Phillies' lefty through 2015.

Rosenthal notes that the Mariners inquired on Upton earlier this month, but talks failed to progress.  Given that club's repeated comments on and off record, we can probably forget about Felix Hernandez.

Rosenthal did not mention the Marlins' Josh Johnson, who is reportedly expected to stay put through today's deadline.  It's difficult to name another ace-like starting pitcher on whom a team might listen. 

Giants Acquire Hunter Pence

By | at

The Giants have to have bolstered their lineup with an All-Star caliber outfielder for the second consecutive summer.  They acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies for right fielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and, minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph the Phillies announced.

Hunter Pence - Phillies (PW)

Pence, 29, is hitting .271/.336/.447 in 440 plate appearances for the Phillies this year.  He's under team control for 2013, though his salary could exceed $14MM.  He'll boost a Giants lineup that ranks 11th in the NL with four runs scored per game.  GM Brian Sabean snagged one of the best bats on the trade market last summer as well with Carlos Beltran, but Pence is more than a rental.  

Pence joined the Phillies one year ago in a trade with the Astros, but amidst a disappointing season GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is cleaning house.  Less than an hour ago, the Dodgers acquired another member of the Phillies' outfield in Shane Victorino. Los Angeles also acquired Hanley Ramirez and Brandon League, creating pressure for their NL West rivals.

Schierholtz, 28, appears to have requested a trade after seeing his playing time diminish. T he left-handed hitter has a .257/.327/.429 batting line in 196 plate appearances this year and a .270/.319/.412 line in his six-year career.  He's earning $1.3MM this year and can be retained through 2014 via the arbitration process.

Rosin, a 23-year-old right-hander, stand 6'6".  He has a 4.31 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 56 1/3 innings at Class A so far this year.  The 2010 fourth round pick has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in the minor leagues.

Joseph, 21, is hitting .260/.313/.391 in 335 Double-A plate appearances this year.  Baseball America wrote before the season that the 2009 second-rounder should be able to stay at catcher.

Jon Heyman first reported the trade today.  Two days ago, Dennis O'Donnell of KPIX was first to report that the Giants had a deal in place for Pence involving Joseph.  Todd Zolecki first reported that Rosin was in the trade.  Danny Knobler confirmed Joseph's role in the trade.

Latest On Orioles, Joe Blanton

By | at

31-year-old innings eater Joe Blanton has about $3MM left on his contract, and the Orioles are his most interested suitor.  The latest: 

  • The Phillies are coming off the $3MM demands, tweets Connolly, and Blanton to the Orioles is picking up steam again.
  • The Orioles would have to take on $3MM to acquire Blanton, and they aren't comfortable with that amount, so they're considering other options, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links).  The Mariners want a lot in return for Jason Vargas, Connolly writes.  Joe Saunders and Bud Norris are alternatives, but it's not clear whether they're fits for Baltimore.  The Orioles don't want to give up much in a trade for starting pitching, Connolly writes.
  • The Orioles tried to get Paul Maholm from the Cubs, Ghiroli reports.  She confirms the team's interest in Saunders and Vargas.  The Orioles are looking on the relief market as well, Ghiroli reports.
  • The Orioles are turning their attention back toward other starters, tweets MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli.
  • The Orioles were sent medicals on Blanton as well as two Phillies minor leaguers, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
  • Money continues to be a stumbling block on a Blanton deal, tweets MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.  The chances of the deal dying have increased since yesterday.

Dodgers Acquire Shane Victorino

By | at

Shane Victorino is returning to the organization that drafted him in 1999.  The Dodgers acquired Victorino from the Phillies today for starting pitching prospect Ethan Martin and reliever Josh Lindblom, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter link).  The deal has been officially announced by both teams, and the Phillies also received a player to be named later or cash considerations.  It's been another active summer for Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who also acquired Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate, and Brandon League this month.

Victorino_Robert_Mayer

Victorino, 31, has $3.3MM remaining on his contract and will be eligible for free agency after the season.  The center fielder has a .261/.324/.401 line in 431 plate appearances for the Phillies this year.  It seems likely he'll play left field for the Dodgers, despite less than 200 career innings at that position.  For the Phillies, Domonic Brown will come up to play left field with John Mayberry Jr. becoming the regular center fielder.  

The Flyin' Hawaiian was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round in 1999.  Former Dodgers GMs Dan Evans and Paul DePodesta let him go twice in the Rule 5 draft, claiming him back from the Padres the first time in '03 but not from the Phillies in '05.  Victorino went on to become a star for the Phils, snagging three Gold Gloves, two All-Star appearances, and even some MVP votes in his time with the club.  With the team's surprising last place performance this season, Victorino was dealt to a contender a few months prior to free agency.  The Reds, Orioles, and Giants had also reportedly been in the mix.  The Dodgers announced they've designated lefty Michael Antonini to open a 40-man roster spot for Victorino.

Martin, the Dodgers' first-round draft pick from 2008, owns a 3.58 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, and 0.38 HR/9 in 118 Double-A innings this year.  Drafted as a raw high schooler, Baseball America ranked Martin 17th on their Dodgers prospect list prior to the season.  They wrote that Martin "maintains the ceiling of a No. 2 starter but has a long way to go."

Lindblom, 25, has a 3.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.70 HR/9, and 38% groundball rate in 47 2/3 relief innings this year, so he's had some issues with the longball.  He doesn't have much big league service time, and is technically under team control through 2017.  Drafted in the second round in '08, Lindblom was once considered one of the team's top prospects.  Lindblom was made more expendable by the Dodgers' acquisition of League from the Mariners last night.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire/Robert Mayer.  Jon Heyman first reported a deal was very likely.

Giants Closing In On Deal For Pence

By | at

Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence holds extra appeal since he's under team control for 2013, even if he could earn more than $14MM next year.  The latest:

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top