Cole Hamels continued his recent struggles once again on Sunday afternoon, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits in just 3 innings. In his last start before the all-star break on July 10th, Hamels gave up 9 runs and 12 hits in 3.1 innings pitched.
If Hamels wants to be traded before the break, he is not proving such. These last two starts have continued to lower his trade value, thus proving that the Phillies have waited too long to trade him when they should’ve.
While Hamels is still a proven veteran that many teams would love to trade for down the stretch, the worse he starts to pitch the harder it will be for the Phillies to get what they want.
In early April, it was reported by Fox Sports that the Phillies and Red Sox were both ready to make a deal, but the Phillies would only take the Red Sox prized prospects Mookie Betts and Blake Swihart. Two top prospects are a lot to expect to get back for an aging ace on the decline.
Hamels now has a 3.91 era with a 5-7 record this season. He will most likely have 1 or 2 more starts before the July 31st deadline to prove he is worth what the Phillies are asking.
