MLB Trade Rumors: Would the Red Sox Deal Will Middlebrooks for Cole Hamels?

On the surface, the answer from Boston would be a resounding "no!"

There's no way that it'd be willing to deal its third baseman of the future as part of a package for a two month rental, even if that rental's name is Cole Hamels.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that Philadelphia is said to prefer Middlebrooks over Kevin Youkilis, as the team wants to inject some much-needed youth into an aging franchise—something I've been a proponent of the Phillies doing for quite some time.

While Cafardo points out that the Red Sox aren't inclined to deal their third baseman of the future, it brings up an interesting question: What if the Red Sox were able to work out a contract extension with Hamels first?

We've seen teams be given "negotiating windows" with a pending free agent before a trade is consummated before, and Boston has the finances to give Hamels an extension similar to any deal that he'd receive as a free agent. Considering that it'd likely be a suitor for him this winter, why not try and get a leg up on the competition?

Theo Epstein left the Red Sox with a solid farm system, one that has a number of players who could pique the Phillies' interest—along with some players on Boston's current major league roster (Felix Doubront for one).

Boston has two other excellent third base prospects in Xander Bogaerts and Garin Cecchini, both of whom could reach the majors within the next two years—so it's not where Middlebrooks is irreplaceable, and it's unlikely that Philadelphia would be asking for two third basemen in any deal.

Trading away prospects and young talent is never an easy decision to make, especially for a team in flux as the 2012 Red Sox are.

But when you have the chance to potentially add one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball, you have to give serious consideration to moving even your most highly thought of prospects and young players currently in the show.

Ben Cherington would be doing the Red Sox a disservice by not looking into what it would take to get something like this done and giving it serious consideration.

Lest we forget—pitching wins championships.