Phillies Trade Rumors: Trading Cole Hamels Would Be a Poor Move for Philadelphia

Cole Hamels has been a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies since his MLB debut. Trading him now, after a mediocre start this season, would be a very poor decision for Philadelphia.

The July 31 trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Phillies have a big decision to make: keep Hamels or let him go?

True, his stats have been up and down throughout his time in Philadelphia. His ERA went from an awful 4.32 to a 2.79 last season. And so far this season, he’s jumped back up to a 3.20.

But Hamels has also given a lot to the Phillies. He’s been a popular name for the franchise and built a close relationship with the team and its fans. According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, Hamels is interested to see how he does in the market, but would ultimately give the Phillies the first chance to sign him. That would be a wise decision on Philadelphia’s part because should Hamels be traded, the Phillies’ clubhouse would be very unhappy.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reported:

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“Hamels’ teammate Jonathan Papelbon says he and his teammates understand the business side of the game, but that trading Hamels would still not go over well in their clubhouse”.

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Giving Hamels another chance to recover in the second half of this season would be better than creating turmoil in the clubhouse.

Hamels is still a strong player and would be the “premier free-agent on the market” (via Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com) should the Phillies not offer him an extension.

The team is 13 games under .500, has lost 10 out of the last 11 games in what is becoming the Phillies' worst season in recent memory. So trading one of their high-profile pitchers might not be the wisest move. They could still use Hamels on the mound. Hamels has said he wants to be on a winning team (via Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com), and who doesn’t? Without Hamels though, the Phillies might not see that in the near future.

The Phillies should keep Hamels in red pinstripes for a little while longer.