Houston Astros Trade Rumors: Cole Hamels Trade A Reality For Surging Astros?


Houston Astros trade rumors now link the team to Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies. A Hamels trade by the Astros would certainly be an announcement that the team is pulling out all the stops to get to the World Series. As reported by CBS Sports on Friday, June 5, the Astros are targeting “a top-of-the-rotation” starter to make a run at an American League West title. The team has been surging again, moving even further ahead of the other divisional contenders.

The facts in this situation are that the Philadelphia Phillies want to trade Cole Hamels, that the Houston Astros have the talent to offer in return, and that Hamels would solve any issues the Astros have had with starting pitching. Hamels won a World Series with the Phillies and knows what it takes to get deep into the postseason. Adding a veteran like that would certainly make the Astros one of the favorites to win its first World Series since the franchise came into the league in 1962.

So far this season, Hamels has made 12 starts for the Phillies. He has a 5-4 record, a 2.88 ERA, and a 1.107 WHIP to his credit. Hamels routinely makes it deep into ballgames and could pitch a lot of innings for a new team. He is also coming off a season where he posted an ERA of just 2.46 over 30 starts. His salary is at $23.5 million through the 2018 MLB season, at which point there is a team option of $20 million for 2019.

It has been reported previously on the Inquisitr that the Houston Astros aren’t the only team that would like to acquire the former NLCS and World Series MVP. Teams like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs have been looking for more starting pitching, but haven’t been able to figure out a deal with the Phillies that would work with both sides. That’s a reality that the Astros would have to face as well, because Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro has set a steep price for his ace starting pitcher. It could likely take a group of prospects and possibly several active players to land Hamels.

While there have been numerous Astros trade rumors floating around, the team might not really have to make a move. Heading into the games on Friday, the Astros have the best record in the American League at 34-21 and seemingly have the talent to go all the way to the World Series. Adding an elite starting pitcher might help the Houston Astros a bit, but this isn’t a team that has any desperation to make a move. Standing pat might still yield a deep postseason run.

[Image Source: Bob Levey/Getty Image]

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