Cole Hamels Free Agency: 6 Teams That Will Offer Him over $100 Million

At this time next year, Cole Hamels is going to be a very rich man. Who will be signing his paychecks is anyone’s guess.

With negotiations over a contract extension going nowhere, Hamels and the Phillies have come to a stalemate. While the two sides could revive the talks and come to an agreement at any time (Hamels has said there is no “deadline” like the one Albert Pujols gave St. Louis last spring), it seems increasingly unlikely that a deal will be struck during spring training.

The pressure for Hamels to hit the open market will be immense; at age 29, he is looking at perhaps his only chance to land the type of mega-contract all players crave. Though he's a two-time All-Star and the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP, Hamels’ value will likely never be higher.

The Phillies will be hard-pressed to keep Hamels around should they fail to negotiate an extension now. With about $108 million committed to just eight players next year (in addition to whatever Hunter Pence gets in arbitration), the organization’s budget will already be stretched out before they even make Hamels an offer.

If Hamels is allowed to test the market, he will have no shortage of suitors from big-market teams looking to make a splash. Pitching, particularly from young left-handers, is always at a premium; just ask Barry Zito, whose disastrous seven-year, $126 million contract in 2007 set a new precedent for starting pitchers.

Hamels will likely command a contract similar to that of CC Sabathia, who agreed to a pact with the Yankees this offseason to the tune of eight years, $182 million. Who can afford to throw that kind of money at Hamels? Here are six possibilities:

Philadelphia Phillies

The most likely destination for Hamels is for him to stay right where he is now. The Phillies have the advantage of being the only organization Hamels has known, a significant edge given how difficult it can be to adjust to new surroundings.

Further helping their cause, the Phillies are committed to putting a championship-caliber team on the field every season.

Where they could fall short is how much money they can offer Hamels. They already have two pitchers (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee) locked up long-term for over $20 million each per season. The organization might deem adding a third member to that group as spending too much in just one area.

While it’s unlikely Hamels will offer any kind of “hometown discount,” the Phillies should be able to put together a good enough offer to compete with other potential suitors.

Boston Red Sox

Despite a $170 million payroll, the Red Sox are a pitching-poor team. Apart from their top-three starters of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, the Sox have a whole lot of question marks on both their major and minor league rosters.

Additionally, they have to compete in a division with the Yankees and Rays, whose outstanding pitching staffs make them both very difficult to beat in a potential playoff series.

What better way to swing the division in their favor, then, than by snatching up Hamels? They can certainly afford it, and a foursome of Hamels, Beckett, Lester and Buchholz would be as good as any in the majors.

New York Yankees

Where the Red Sox go with free agents, so too do the Yankees. While the Yankees have strong depth in their rotation as it stands now, the Andy Pettitte and Huroki Kuroda additions are only short-term solutions.

If they were able to pair Hamels with CC Sabathia, they would have two of the top lefties in all of baseball in the same rotation, a nightmare for lefty-laden lineups like the Red Sox. Together with Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda, they would also have a very strong foundation set up for the future.

Shockingly, the issue may be money. Hal Steinbrenner has been talking about reducing payroll, and adding another huge long-term deal would fly in the face of that new philosophy of restraint. Still, any time the Yankees have the chance to add a potential franchise cornerstone, you can bet they’ll at least dip their toe in the water.

Miami Marlins

The free-spending Marlins could be a wild card in the Hamels sweepstakes. After splurging on Mark Buerhle and Jose Reyes this offseason, the Marlins proved that they’re serious about contending in the NL East and spending whatever it takes to do it.

Stealing Hamels from their division rival would make a huge impact on both teams. The Marlins would have an ace to go with Josh Johnson and Buerhle, and the Phillies would be losing their top young pitcher.

Whether Miami becomes a realistic destination for Hamels will likely depend on how the new-look Marlins finish this year. If they struggle, it would be hard for Hamels to justify staying within the division to go to a losing team.

If they improve, though, Hamels could see the young team on the rise as an enticing option.

Chicago Cubs

New Cubs president Theo Epstein certainly has an affinity for signing big free agent pitchers; in his time with the Red Sox, he made John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka very rich men.

Now in charge of overhauling a team that finished the 2011 season 23rd in MLB in runs allowed and 25th in ERA, Epstein will be looking for an ace around which to build his rotation.

The Cubs’ lack of depth in their rotation along with their large bankroll could bring them straight to Hamels’ doorstep this offseason. Epstein has never been shy about making big offers to free agents, and Hamels will no doubt be enticed by the thought of playing at Wrigley Field and trying to bring the Cubs their first World Series title since 1908.

Los Angeles Dodgers

A Southern California native, Hamels would love to return home to pitch for the Dodgers. Dodger Stadium is a pitcher’s park, and reigning NL Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw would love to add Hamels and create as good a one-two punch as there is in the game today.

The Dodgers, however, have an uncertain ownership situation that complicates making any big offers to free agents. Lengthy, expensive contracts often act as a deterrent to potential buyers, and as a result, Dodgers GM Ned Coletti may hesitate to offer Hamels the big pay day he is looking for.

Ultimately, though, Hamels represents another marketable star that would enable the Dodgers to reestablish their dominance over the LA sports scene.