MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan had the majority of the major scoops on this one. It’s a massive two-team, eight-player blockbuster deal that will net the Phillies a frontline starter for this year and years to come while injecting more young talent into the Phillies’ under-construction minor league system.
Rangers get ...
SP Cole Hamels
RP Jake Diekman
Phillies get ...
C Jorge Alfaro
OF Nick Williams
SP Alec Asher
SP Jerad Eickhoff
SP Jake Thompson
SP Matt Harrison
Hamels can help the Rangers down the stretch this season -- they’re not completely out of the hunt for the second American League Wild Card -- and he’ll pair very well with Yu Darvish in the long term. Hamels, 31, is under contract through 2019. Philly has agreed to eat some of the cash that he’s owed.
In return, the Phillies get an impressive haul of prospects. Alfaro is a power-hitting, big-armed catching prospect who could be a star if he develops better plate discipline. Williams is a well-rounded outfielder with big upside, and Thompson has posted promising numbers in the lower levels of the minor leagues (the 21-year-old has struggled this season at Double-A). J.J. Cooper of Baseball America says all three would probably crack an updated top-100 ranking of the game’s best prospects. The other players are more of throw-ins -- especially Harrison, who has chronic back issues and is still owed around $30 million. By accepting him in the trade, the Rangers no doubt increased their package of talent.