Cole Hamels - 3-Year, $20.5M Extension

[93henfan]

Assuming health, this is a tremendous bargain:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/01/17/hamels.phillies/index.html

[Thunderstruck84]

Assuming health, this is a tremendous bargain:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/01/17/hamels.phillies/index.html
Yeah, I saw that yesterday and thought the same thing. If he's not at the same level as Santana and Sabathia he's darn close and he's gonna be getting paid a 3rd of their salary through 3 of his prime years. About time to find a new agent if I were him.

[GannonFan]

Yeah, I saw that yesterday and thought the same thing. If he's not at the same level as Santana and Sabathia he's darn close and he's gonna be getting paid a 3rd of their salary through 3 of his prime years. About time to find a new agent if I were him.

I'd take him over both those guys right now (well, Sabathia at least). Regular season performance is about the same, and Hamels has at least shown that he's a gem in the post-season - Sabathia hasn't shown anything close to that in the post season so far.

Definitley a bargain for now - problem will come in 4 years when they need to pay him again. Eventually the Phils will lose some of the nucleus they have now, just a matter of economics. But that's still several years away.

[Ivytalk]

Great to have Cole in the fold!xthumbsupx

[gmoney55]

Great to have Cole in the fold!xthumbsupx

How many years of free agency did the Phils buy out? If it's two it's an awesome deal, if one it's pretty much fair on both sides.

[seantaylor]

How bad did the Braves get fleeced for Derek Lowe? Hamels is getting a 1/3 of what Lowe is getting.

[gmoney55]

How bad did the Braves get fleeced for Derek Lowe? Hamels is getting a 1/3 of what Lowe is getting.

Hamels wasn't a free agent...though the Braves did fleece themselves on the Lowe price by reacting so quick after the Smoltz signing.

[ngineer]

Great deal for the Phils. Now need to get it done with Howard, Victorino, Werth, Madson and Blanton.

[whitey]

You guys have to remember that Hamels wasn't a free agent and that all this deal really did was buy out his arbitration years. You can't compare this deal to what other Free Agent pitchers got. What you need to do is compare this deal to what other arbitration eligible pitchers received when teams bought out those years.

If you do that then you will see that Hamels set the new record. Of course he deserved it.

[GannonFan]

You guys have to remember that Hamels wasn't a free agent and that all this deal really did was buy out his arbitration years. You can't compare this deal to what other Free Agent pitchers got. What you need to do is compare this deal to what other arbitration eligible pitchers received when teams bought out those years.

If you do that then you will see that Hamels set the new record. Of course he deserved it.

He was going to get the money anyway, as you say, since he was arbitration eligible. The only plus for the Phils is that they don't need to go through the arbitration and by year 3 Hamels "record" salary probably won't be a record.

[whitey]

I agree with you and I wasn't saying it was a bad deal. I was just pointing out that people were comparing apples to oranges (Hamels contract to Sabathia's).

[93henfan]

Losing arbitration to Howard last year didn't leave the best taste in anybody's mouth either, and I'm sure the Phils didn't want to make that their MO with young players.

[GannonFan]

Losing arbitration to Howard last year didn't leave the best taste in anybody's mouth either, and I'm sure the Phils didn't want to make that their MO with young players.


Howard is a guy I could see the Phils cutting loose after he becomes free agent eligible. He's already older, not terribly in great shape, and he'll cost a bundle when he does become eligible for free agency. Hamels, on the other hand, is someone I could see them wanting to keep long term and hence, the desire to avoid the bitterness of arbitration.

[ngineer]

Howard is a guy I could see the Phils cutting loose after he becomes free agent eligible. He's already older, not terribly in great shape, and he'll cost a bundle when he does become eligible for free agency. Hamels, on the other hand, is someone I could see them wanting to keep long term and hence, the desire to avoid the bitterness of arbitration.

Yes, I see Hamels having the potential of becoming another Carlton. He is a stud and going to get better. I also agree that Howard will likely end up in the AL at some time in the future, when his glove liability starts outweighing his bat. Supposedly, the Phils have a very good young prospect in the minors at first base though a few years away. Can't recall his name at the moment.

[JMU DJ]

Yes, I see Hamels having the potential of becoming another Carlton. He is a stud and going to get better. I also agree that Howard will likely end up in the AL at some time in the future, when his glove liability starts outweighing his bat. Supposedly, the Phils have a very good young prospect in the minors at first base though a few years away. Can't recall his name at the moment.


Now if the phils bats wouldn't go silent when Hamels is pitching, then maybe he will actually get the 20 win seasons he should be throwing. I'm afraid Howard is going to go along the Mo Vaughn/Cecil Fielder route... huge numbers over a short period of time followed by mediocrity.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

ISupposedly, the Phils have a very good young prospect in the minors at first base though a few years away. Can't recall his name at the moment.

I don't see any first babsemen listed among the Phillies top 20 prospects, but you could be thinking of this guy...


2. Michael Taylor, OF

Age: 23, A-Adv, 6′6” 250 lbs
Estimated Phillies Debut: Mid-2010 or 2011

I might have Taylor higher than most people, but when you look at the numbers, he was clearly the best offensive prospect in the system this year and has the best chance of being an impact bat down the road. At 6′6” 250lbs, Taylor is a huge guy and has all the tools to be a successful player. For a comparison, let’s look at Taylor’s number at age 22 vs. Ryan Howard’s at the same point. Both had 490 ABs, and both were in Single-A.

Single A Stats:

Taylor 2008 - .346 BA; .412 OBP; .557 SLG%; 19 HR; 88 RBI; 39 2B

Howard 2002 - .280 BA; .367 OBP; .469 SLG%; 19HR; 87 RBI; 20 2B

Pretty impressive when you put them together like that. I’m not going to say that Taylor can be the power hitter or RBI machine that Howard is, but I do think that he can be a 25-30 HR, 100 RBI guy that strikes out less than Burrell and can also get you 35-40 doubles. One more quality year in the minors, and you’ll start hearing a lot more about Taylor.

http://www.reclinergm.com/minor-update-phillies-top-10-prospects-for-2009/

A guy of his size might be easily converted to first base.

xthumbsupx

[ngineer]

I don't see any first babsemen listed among the Phillies top 20 prospects, but you could be thinking of this guy...



http://www.reclinergm.com/minor-update-phillies-top-10-prospects-for-2009/

A guy of his size might be easily converted to first base.

xthumbsupx

THAT'S THE GUY! xnodx xthumbsupx Excellent research.

[appfan2008]

what a deal... for the phils...