Cole Hamels Contract: Ready to Sign New Deal with Philadelphia Phillies?

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels figures to be one of the top free-agent pitchers available after the season. 

With the annual demand for quality starting pitching around the majors—especially now that the Los Angeles Dodgers look ready to pursue top talent with new ownership in place—testing the open market this winter would seem to be in Hamels' best interests. 

Yet Hamels may have tipped off that he already has an agreement in place with the Phillies. That's how the Philadelphia Inquirer's Matt Gelb read into Hamels talking about whether he and his agent have set an Opening Day deadline for negotiating a new contract.

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"My only understanding is if you sign anybody before opening day, you have to deal with the luxury tax," he told Gelb. "So that's the only thing I know of. Anything after goes toward next season. I understand that's where the Phillies are."

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So what exactly in that statement made Gelb think, "A-ha"? By his interpretation, that was a curious detail for Hamels to be aware of. Gelb did some digging, however, and found out that when a contract is signed no longer has anything to do with the luxury tax being applied.

Is it a stretch to think this means Hamels has a new contract with the Phillies and is waiting until after Opening Day to sign it? Perhaps, but it might also explain why Hamels told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he hasn't been thinking about his contract situation at all.

Why worry about what's already taken care of?

But Hamels' moment of zen might also stem from the comfort of knowing that he's going to hit a big payday after the season, regardless of whether or not it's with the Phillies. 

Personally, if I was a free agent, I'd want to see what kind of offers come my way. What sort of interest will the Dodgers, Marlins and any other team looking for pitching demonstrate? 

Of course, the Phillies are also a team not afraid to spend big money. And they really can't afford to lose Hamels, so they have an obvious need, too.

There's something to be said for the comfort of familiarity and playing for a team that has shown it will do anything to win.