Cole Hamels put to rest any talk about fatigue or falling trade stock Saturday when he threw the first no-hitter of his career against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. You wouldn’t think one start could change the perception of a guy who’s been dominant now for over 1,900 major league innings, but this has always been a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of business. Just like any professional sport.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal is hearing from sources that there is “momentum building” toward a Hamels trade following Saturday’s historical performance on the north side of Chicago. Rosenthal says teams are no longer asking the Phillies to eat as much money and they’re putting forth better return packages.
Hamels, who’s under contract through 2018 at $23.5 million per season, heads into the week of the July 31 trade deadline with a cool 3.64 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 137/39 K/BB ratio in 128 2/3 innings.
The five organizations expressing the most interest in the 31-year-old, per Rosenthal, are the Dodgers, Rangers, Yankees, Giants, and the Cubs team Hamels just no-hit on Saturday.