Cole Hamels IS That Good

I was getting tired of reading about how Cole Hamels is going to get a ridiculous contract from either the Phillies or in free agency, so I decided to write a post about him not being that good and not being worth that kind of money.

Well, it turns out that Hamels has been extremely consistent since he entered the league in 2006. Since his rookie year, his ERA has only finished over 4.00 one time, and that was in 2009, the year after the Phillies won the World Series. He threw what is still a career high of 227.1 innings in 2008 and threw an additional 35.0 innings during that postseason, bringing the overall total to 262.1 innings. Most pitchers struggle after putting up a bunch of extra innings. Just look at Chris Carpenter. After the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, Carp missed nearly two full seasons, pitching in just five games over those two years. Now it's 2012 and Carpenter won't pitch at all this season after the Cards won the 2011 World Series. Hamels had took a step back in 2009, suffering career highs in ERA, WHIP, and his only sub-.500 season, but he still was decent enough to help the team back to another World Series.

I'm not sure if Hamels is worth $20+ million a year, but the Phillies gave Cliff Lee $120 million over five year and Hamels has a career ERA .30 lower than that of Lee. At least if he does get that much, he can afford a better hair cut. If Philadelphia can't retain Hamels, he would be a prized asset that could bolster any team looking to make the playoffs this season. One major rule change could deter some clubs, though. Players acquired in mid-season trades will no longer result in draft pick compensation if they sign elsewhere. With this being the first year of this rule, it's difficult to tell how it will affect prospective trades, but teams might not want to give up as many prized prospects with the possibility of losing both those young players and the free agent, without a chance to replace either. If the Phillies re-sign Hamels, they're looking at close to $70 million on three pitchers between him, Lee, and Roy Halladay for next season. Add on Ryan Howard's $25 million, and that's $95 million on four players. The Phillies might be better off trading Hamels for the right package so if nothing else, they can keep some balance on their roster keep it competitive.