Cole Hamels Signs 6-year Deal with Phillies

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • ThomasTomasz
    • Nov 2024

    Cole Hamels Signs 6-year Deal with Phillies

    The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing a substantial offer to their soon-to-be-free-agent left-hander Cole Hamels in an attempt to determine whether they can sign him to an extension in the next two weeks, sources told ESPN.com on Thursday.

    However, the Phillies are aware that in order to retain the winningest pitcher they have developed in the past 40 years, it could require one of the largest contracts in team history.

    Both Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and Hamels' agent, John Boggs, declined to comment on any aspect of the negotiations.

    The market for Hamels has been shaped in the past few months by the five-year, $112.5 million extension signed by San Francisco right-hander Matt Cain in April, a deal that actually guaranteed him six years and $127.5 million when his salary for 2012 was factored in.

    The Phillies also influenced that market with the five-year, $120 million deal they agreed to with Cliff Lee in December 2010, a contract that established a then-record average annual value for a pitcher of $24 million per season.

    Although the Phillies' payroll is approaching the $178 million luxury-tax threshold (and actually may already have exceeded it), the club believes it can find a way to sign Hamels and stay under the threshold in 2013 and beyond, a source said.

    However, the Phillies never have signed a pitcher to a contract that included more than the five guaranteed years they gave Lee. And sources said they remain wary of guaranteeing six years or more, but have had numerous internal discussions about whether to break that precedent in Hamels' case.
    Mike and Mike in the Morning

    Hamels has been a walking trade rumor for weeks. Those rumors have only intensified as the Phillies were careening into the All-Star break with 10 losses in their past 11 games, dropping them 14 games out of first place and 10 out in the wild-card race.

    Nevertheless, with Roy Halladay potentially a week from rejoining their rotation, the Phillies have told other teams they will wait as long as possible -- maybe even two more weeks -- before making a decision on whether to sell off players such as Hamels and outfielder Shane Victorino. By then, they hope to have a clearer picture on whether they can sign Hamels long-term before he hits free agency this fall.

    There has been no indication the two sides have made any progress toward a new deal for months. However, executives of two clubs that spoke to Phillies' officials say Philadlephia has been expressing a surprising level of optimism it can get the 28-year-old left-hander signed this month.

    "They're trying to sign him," said one of those executives. "And they think it's going to happen. At least that's what I was told."

    What the Phillies have no way of knowing, for now, is whether Hamels shares their optimism.

    During his media availability before the All-Star Game this week, Hamels was at his diplomatic best, saying that even if he reaches free agency this offseason and many teams are bidding on him, he would "always put (the Phillies) at the top of my list."

    However, he also sounded intrigued by free agency, saying at one point: "Every human being wants to know what their value is, in whatever job they're doing. If you get to do it, it's a pretty cool experience."

    And that, according to one of Hamels' teammates, is no negotiating ploy.

    "If Cole has his way," Hamels' friend said, "he'll wait 'till the end of the year, go out there and see what he's worth and then ask the Phillies, 'OK, what do YOU think I'm worth?' "

    That's an indication, with free agency only a few months away, the Phillies essentially will have to offer free-agent market dollars -- and years -- if they hope to sign him now. If they can't, they are likely to turn their attention to trading him before the deadline, and then likely making another attempt to sign him in the offseason.

    The Texas Rangers have been prominently mentioned as the favorites to trade for Hamels if the Phillies deal him. But other clubs have said privately that while they are interested, they're still biding their time, waiting for signals that the Phillies seriously intend to trade him and that the initial price tag, of four or five premium young players, has come down.

    Hamels potentially could appeal to a long list of contenders that could include the Dodgers, Tigers, Pirates, Red Sox, Cardinals and Reds. However, the Phillies won't begin to focus seriously on potential trades until they can determine whether their view of Hamels' market value is in the same ballpark as his.

    http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/81...er-cole-hamels
  • ThomasTomasz
    • Nov 2024

    #2
    The Philadelphia Phillies’ quest to re-sign left-hander Cole Hamels appears to be gaining traction.

    The club is now offering Hamels six years guaranteed, leaving only the dollar amount to be negotiated, major-league sources say.

    The money in a six-year extension for Hamels almost certainly would exceed the $127.5 million that the Giants recently gave right-hander Matt Cain.

    Whether Hamels could exceed the $137.5 million that the Mets awarded left-hander Johan Santana on Feb. 2, 2008, remains to be seen.

    Hamels, 28, still could opt to reject the Phillies’ best offer and test the free-agent market this offseason. But he has said he is comfortable with both the city and team.

    The Phillies could trade Hamels if they do not sign him before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, or attempt to continue negotiating with him the rest of the season.

    Hamels, 11-4 with a 3.07 ERA, is next scheduled to pitch Saturday afternoon against the San Francisco Giants in a game that will be televised on FOX.

    http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/p...ranteed-071912
    From Insider, the rumored price is $130 million

    Comment

    • TheImmortalGoud
      No longer a noob
      • Jan 2011
      • 1790

      #3
      Sources: Hamels, Phils pact for 6 years, $140M

      PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies and Cole Hamels have agreed to a six-year agreement worth a little more than $140 million, pending physical, sources said Wednesday.

      With the deal, the 28-year-old left-hander avoided free agency. The six-year extension makes him the second-highest paid pitcher in history, behind CC Sabathia, who signed a seven-year deal with the New York Yankees worth $161 million in 2008, and just passes Johan Santana's six-year, $137.5 million contract with the New York Mets.

      Hamels had said earlier that he enjoys playing in Philadelphia and would love the opportunity to emulate one of his boyhood heroes, Tony Gwynn, and play his entire career for one franchise.

      Comment

      • Mogriffjr
        aka Reece
        • Apr 2009
        • 2759

        #4
        lol phillies gon be phillies
        Originally posted by Nick Mangold
        Wes Welker is a great player. He's really taken advantage of watching film. If we don't keep a Spy on him, he could really open the Gate.

        Comment

        • TheImmortalGoud
          No longer a noob
          • Jan 2011
          • 1790

          #5
          Jon Heyman is now saying it's 144m, and Bob Nightengale is saying that the contract will also include a vesting option for a seventh year that could make the contract worth more than $160 million.

          Rotoworld

          Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Phillies and Cole Hamels have agreed to a six-year, $144 million extension.

          Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reported early Wednesday morning that a deal was close while ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to report that an agreement was reached. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the contract will also include a vesting option for a seventh year that could make the contract worth more than $160 million. This is the richest contract in Phillies history and the second-richest contract ever given to a pitcher, trailing only the seven-year, $161 million contract the Yankees gave to CC Sabathia prior to the 2009 season. The Phillies knew they would have to pay a premium to keep Hamels from testing free agency and they did it.

          Comment

          • ThomasTomasz
            • Nov 2024

            #6
            Good deal, when they started talking a week ago I thought it would get done. I just wonder now if the Hamels extension means they will look to trade Cliff Lee, as the rumors about him are beginning to start.

            Comment

            • Villain
              [REDACTED]
              • May 2011
              • 7768

              #7
              Holy hell that's a lot of money.
              [REDACTED]

              Comment

              • Woy
                RIP West
                • Dec 2008
                • 16372

                #8
                Makes the upcoming Wainwright negotiations tougher...thanks Philadelphia.



                ^ Shouts to MvP for the sick sig. GFX TEAM BACK

                .

                Comment

                • NAHSTE
                  Probably owns the site
                  • Feb 2009
                  • 22233

                  #9
                  Gotta make sure you lock up all the players. Can't waste Ryan Howard's post-prime.

                  Comment

                  • Warner2BruceTD
                    2011 Poster Of The Year
                    • Mar 2009
                    • 26142

                    #10
                    Let's be fair here, can't rip the Phillies for this, because despite a couple of bad deals they gave out during their run, they managed to keep the young stud who could have gotten away. This softens the blow on the Howard deal, etc, because in the end, it is not preventing them from retaining anybody.

                    It's nice to essentially have no budget, and then have owners not afraid to spend.

                    Comment

                    • NAHSTE
                      Probably owns the site
                      • Feb 2009
                      • 22233

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Warner2BruceTD
                      Let's be fair here, can't rip the Phillies for this, because despite a couple of bad deals they gave out during their run, they managed to keep the young stud who could have gotten away. This softens the blow on the Howard deal, etc, because in the end, it is not preventing them from retaining anybody.
                      They are about to trade Pence, who is their only regular player under 30. Their bench is old and bad. You can say it doesn't matter, but the rest of their roster will suffer from these absurd contracts. And Hamels is already 29. To call him a young stud is a bit of a stretch.

                      It's market rate for a pitcher of Hamels's caliber, sure, but what the Phillies have done over the last 3 years is insane for long-term sustainability.

                      Comment

                      • Warner2BruceTD
                        2011 Poster Of The Year
                        • Mar 2009
                        • 26142

                        #12
                        Originally posted by NAHSTE
                        They are about to trade Pence, who is their only regular player under 30. Their bench is old and bad. You can say it doesn't matter, but the rest of their roster will suffer from these absurd contracts.

                        It's market rate for a pitcher of Hamels's caliber, sure, but what the Phillies have done over the last 3 years is insane for long-term sustainability.
                        Hey hey hey!

                        I said it "softens the blow" of the Howard deal, I didn't say it didn't matter.

                        They wanted to keep that championship core together, and they knew the corssroads would come. It came sooner than they thought. I'm just saying from a Phillies fan perspective, I would be pretty relieved that they were able to keep Hamels.

                        I think the wave of prospects that haven't developed as planned (Mayberry, Brown, etc) is a underrated factor as to why they've fallen off the cliff sooner than expected. They landed some gift wrapped deals from the old Astros braintrust over the years, but then they guys they managed to avoid dealing haven't worked out anyway.

                        Comment

                        • Goober
                          Needs a hobby
                          • Feb 2009
                          • 12271

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Mogriffjr
                          lol phillies gon be phillies
                          Can't laugh at the Phillies for this. Unlike a lot of the deals they make, this is fair value. Hamels is worth every penny. I'll give them credit for keeping their best player. Doesn't mean much though, the Phillies have three great starting pitchers, two guys past their prime in Utley and Rollins, and after that it's just role players. The big contracts they've given out will prevent them from acquiring anyone else.

                          Comment

                          Working...