The Philadelphia Phillies and pitcher Cole Hamels avoided arbitration after agreeing to a one-year $15 million contract today. With the contract, Hamels became the highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher ever to sign a deal before being eligible for free agency. Hamels is now set to become a free-agent in 2013, but the Phillies are still negotiating a possible long-term contract.
It will be very costly for the Phillies to hold onto Cole Hamels after this season. According to ESPN Baseball Insider Buster Olney, not including Hamels, the Phillies have $104 million committed to six players in 2013. With big contracts committed to guys like Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee, the organization may not be able to afford to keep Hamels in the long-run. Not only will it cost the Phillies a great deal of money, but many teams will be after Hamels. The big spenders, like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, may come calling. There is even talk of the Los Angeles Dodgers having interest in Hamels since the Dodgers will be under new management and Hamels is originally from California.
Hamels has had a bit of a roller coaster career in Philadelphia. When the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, Hamels was the World Series MVP and posted a 4-0 record with a 1.80 ERA in the playoffs. In 2009, Hamels had a down year, especially in the postseason, where he went 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA and told the media that he wished the season was over during the World Series. After a mediocre year in 2010, Hamels was then booed off the field by Philadelphia fans during his first start in 2011. Hamels responded with stellar pitching the rest of the season. He posting a 14-9 record to go along with a 2.79 ERA and won back the support of most fans in Philadelphia.
Regardless of the long-term future of Cole Hamels, there is no doubt that he has been a key contributor to the organization’s success over the past five years. With Hamels returning, the top of the Phillies starting rotation is intact and the team will have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the National League. At least for now, the Phillies have what they want and are ready to contend for a World Series once again. As for the long-term future, we will just have to wait and see.