New York Yankees: 5 Reasons the Bombers Should Stay Away from Cole Hamels

Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

Over the last month, I've had to sit back and watch different B/R writers try to convince everyone why the New York Yankees should go for Cole Hamels.

Hamels will be a free agent at the end of the 2012 season and it's not known yet whether the Phillies will sign him to a long-term extension, trade him, or wait until the winter.

A lot of different people feel like the Yankees should obtain Hamels at all costs.

Me? Nope. I want no part of the 28-year-old whatsoever.

I don't want the Yankees to trade for him and I don't want him signed as a free agent.

Here are the five reasons why the Yankees should steer clear of Hamels in the summer and winter.

Bad Attitude

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Cole Hamels thinks he's a tough guy.

He's not. In fact, he's a coward.

On May 6, Hamels decided to drill Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper with a fastball in the back.

What made it worse was Hamels admitted that he intentionally tried to hit Harper because he felt like it was part of the game.

Hitting a rookie for no reason is not part of the game.

This is not the only time where Hamels was questioned about his attitude.

Back in 2008 in an interview on WFAN in New York, Hamels stirred up controversy by saying the Mets were choke artists.

OK, everyone who lives in the New York and New Jersey area knows the Mets did choke in 2007 and 2008.

But it is unprofessional for a player to be that arrogant about it. There are ways to say that sort of thing in a classier manner.

This is all part of Hamels' attitude, and I don't like it at all. It doesn't need to be in the Bronx.

"I Can't Wait for It to End"

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

This quote said it all for me on this guy's character.

After Cole Hamels was smacked around by the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series, Hamels told reporters, "I can't wait for it to end," regarding the season.

Really, Cole?

I'm sorry, but your team was in the World Series fighting against the Yankees and you had a chance to potentially pitch in Game 7 if it went that far, but you couldn't wait for it to end.

Hamels later retracted that statement and said he would have been excited to pitch Game 7.

Yeah, good cover up, Cole. You can't take back what you said there.

You came off as a quitter, a coward and a front-runner who was ready to run when things got tough.

And people want this guy in New York?

He's Not Worth Seven Years

Brian Garfinkel/Getty Images

Recently, Cole Hamels made his contract demands perfectly known: he wants a seven-year deal.

By the time the 2012 season ends, he'll be almost 29 years old, and seven years would have him getting paid through age 35.

Do the Yankees really want that kind of commitment to Hamels going through the year 2020?

They already have the rest of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia's contracts to pay off. Derek Jeter may ask for a raise next year, and both Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano need extensions.

Those guys take priority over Hamels.

Honestly, does anyone feel confident giving Hamels a seven-year deal worth $140 million?

I don't. He's not worth that kind of money.

He's Not an Ace

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Seven years for that kind of money is an ace-type deal that Hamels is demanding.

Lets make this perfectly clear: Cole Hamels is not an ace pitcher.

The Phillies thought he might have been an ace in 2008 when they won the World Series.

But in 2009, they found out he wasn't, which is why they made the mid-season deal to get Cliff Lee from the Indians and resurrect Pedro Martinez's career for two months of the season.

Following the 2008 World Series, Hamels came into camp out of shape and looked as if he liked living the "Hollywood lifestyle" more than being a Major League pitcher.

If the Phillies really thought Hamels was their bona fide, legitimate ace, they wouldn't have traded for Lee, nor would they have traded for Roy Halladay and then brought back Lee as a free agent.

Hamels is a No. 2 pitcher, but wants to get paid like a No. 1.

The Yankees would be setting themselves up for failure if they thought they were spending money to get an ace and end up with someone who is more suited to be in the middle of a rotation.

Blocking the Killer B's

J. Meric/Getty Images

This is the big one here.

Having Cole Hamels on the Yankees would block them from being able to bring up and have right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Manny Banuelos on the roster and in the starting rotation.

The Yankees already have CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova as their long-term solutions.

Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda are on one-year deals with the Yankees in 2012, but probably wouldn't figure into the long-term plans of the team.

The Yankees eventually would like to bring up both of their top prospects in Betances and Banuelos, known as the "Killer B's" in the minors.

If the Yankees sign Hamels, it blocks at least one of them from a rotation spot.

What good would the the Yankees have done by trying to develop both of the youngsters and then not have a spot ready for one of them?

It ends up being counterproductive and goes against the principle of developing a young player.

The Yankees used to make those mistakes and ended up trading away their farm system not too long ago. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has worked very hard to rebuild it.

Having Hamels on the Yankees would do more damage than good.

In the end, Cole Hamels is just not worth the hassle of having in the Bronx.