After three straight seasons of trading starting pitching for prospects, the Chicago Cubs appear ready to reverse the trend. CBS Sports.com’s Mike Axisa reports that the Cubs have claimed star left-hander Cole Hamels off revocable waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies. The two teams now have 48 hours from the time of the claim to work out a trade.
Revocable waivers means that the original team may pull the player back. Should the two teams not reach a deal, then the Phillies have two options. They could simply award Hamels to the Cubs, who would take over his contract and responsibility for his salary. The other option is to put Hamels back on the Phillies’ active roster. The Phillies then lose the ability to trade him for the remainder of the season. Given his talent and potential trade value in the offseason, that option is much more likely.
Hamels would make a true ace in the Cubs’ rotation. He is 6-6, but that is for a last-place team, and one ranked 24th in the Majors in runs scored. He has an ERA of 2.42, a WHIP of 1.11, and a K/BB ratio of approximately 3.5/1. In his career, he is 105-80 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
CBS Sports’ baseball insider Jon Heyman said that the Cubs are one of nine teams for whom Hamles would waive his no-trade clause.
Hamels has pre-approved cubs and 8 other mostly big-market teams by virtue of 20-team no-trade list
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 7, 2014
Should the Cubs make a trade?
CONS
On paper, it looks like the classic “no-brainer.” However, for the same reasons that the Cubs had for not going after David Price, they should use those 48 hours to think long and hard about trading for Hamels. Price will make at least $15 million — likely closer to $20 million — next year. Hamels has four guaranteed years left on his contract (through 2018) for $90 million total, making for an AAV of $22.5 million. The Cubs want the money for multiple players/pitchers. That is why they have traded away their highest-priced veterans for last three years. In addition, the Cubs would have to give up at least one of their very talented and highly-touted top prospects, which would likely infuriate Cub fans.
PROS
Still, knowing that they would have team control over a true ace for the next four years should give team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer something to ponder: one of the best pitchers in the league in his early 30’s for the duration of the contract who will boost the young talent coming up through the system. The Cubs will need a veteran presence such as Hamels has. Hamels has won a World Series, two N.L. pennants, and seven postseason games. He has also made three N.L. All-Star teams.
Will a trade even happen? Axisa says no, but now that the Cubs have their offensive prospects — and a surplus of them — in their system and making their ways to the Majors, it could happen. If it does, then the Cubs will put themselves in far better shape to contend for a postseason berth by 2016 as planned.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images Sport