MLB Rumors: Analyzing Trade Buzz for Cole Hamels, Howie Kendrick and More

For Major League Baseball teams, trying to trade established big leaguers can be a bigger chore than trying to sign a free agent. You have to deal with money that's left on a contract and decide who will be going back in the move. 

When you are trying to sign a free agent, all you have to worry about is the price and the other teams involved in negotiations. That's still a challenge, but there aren't nearly as many moving parts in that scenario.

You can sense the difference teams feel when it comes to trades as opposed to free agency by examining rumors regarding the former. It also doesn't help that a lot of what gets put out at this time of year is garbage designed to test a player and/or team. 

It's still fun to look at the garbage and try to make sense of it all. 

Cole Hamels Dealing With Reality

John Bazemore/Associated Press

In a surprise twist that everyone associated with the Philadelphia Phillies should have seen coming given the diastrous turn the franchise has taken in recent years, Cole Hamels is apparently willing to accept a trade from the only franchise he's ever known. 

According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Hamels won't demand a deal out of Philadelphia but would prefer a winning situation:

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He won't demand a trade, or even complain, but two years ago when he signed his extension, he believed the Phillies would be a perennial power for the life of the contract. ...

The Phillies want to trade him, and, certainly nothing against the city or the loyal fan base, but Hamels would love to help facilitate their franchise makeover.

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Nightengale also notes the Phillies are hoping the top free agents (Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, James Shields) all sign with the teams on Hamels' no-trade list so they are forced to look at other avenues to upgrade their rotation. 

At the risk of oversimplifying a complicated trade matter, the likelihood of Hamels being dealt isn't high based on what the Phillies are asking to get in return.

According to Jim Salisbury of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, the Phillies are considering three top prospects for Hamels, all of them already or nearly MLB-ready.

"Industry sources say the Phils are looking for at least three top prospects," Salisbury wrote, "two that can play right now and another that isn’t far away."

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro has the right to ask for a lot because Hamels has proven himself to be one of the best pitchers in baseball. He's coming off a season in which he posted a career-low 2.46 ERA, and he's signed through 2018. 

However, Hamels' contract also becomes a problem. He's going to be 31 on December 27 and will make $90 million over the next four years with a vesting option at $24 million for 2019, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Even though $22.5 million per season seems like a solid price for a proven ace, the combination of Hamels' age and cost in prospects to acquire him makes a trade difficult to see. 

Funny things can happen in the heat of battle, but unless a team with a farm system capable of matching Philadelphia's demands (Cubs, Red Sox, Dodgers) is willing to do something drastic, don't count on a deal this winter. 

Howie Kendrick Generating A Lot of Trade Interest

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There are some players who don't stand out from the pack, but you're always glad to have them on your team because they can do so many things. Howie Kendrick is one of those players, so it's no surprise he's generating some phone calls. 

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, two American League East teams in search of middle-infield help have contacted the Los Angeles Angels about their starting second baseman:

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The Yankees and Blue Jays are among teams that have called about Kendrick, who is believed to have received more interest than Freese. The Nats and A's are among other teams that may address second base.

The Yankees have long liked Kendrick, a noted Yankee killer, and have issues at second base, shortstop and third base. But at present the Angels, who have already done a lot of work this winter, acquiring pitching prospect Nick Tropeano and lefty reliever Cesar Ramos, still believe they are more likely than not to hold onto Kendrick.

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Toronto's interest in Kendrick may have changed after they acquired second-base prospect Devon Travis from Detroit for outfielder Anthony Gose, via Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. 

The Yankees are in the market for a second baseman and shortstop this offseason. Kendrick has hit well against them throughout his career, posting a .342/.404/.480 slash line in 59 games, via Baseball-Reference. 

The Nationals are in an interesting spot. They are still the most talented team in the National League East with a hole to fill at second base. If general manager Mike Rizzo can come up with a trade package for Kendrick, he would fill one of the few weak spots on an otherwise deep roster. 

Dealing Kendrick wouldn't make much sense for the Angels. He's only set to make $9.5 million and is coming off his best season by on-base percentage (.347) since 2007. They are going to be contenders in the American League West next year and don't have an internal replacement for the former All-Star. 

Alexei Ramirez on Yankees' Radar

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Going back to the Yankees' lack of middle infielders, one possible solution the team could explore more in depth as the offseason continues is Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. 

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Ramirez is a more appealing option for the Yankees than another shortstop who has been bantered about in trade rumors:

The basis of Elvis Andrus conversations was a report by Joel Sherman of The New York Post that the Yankees were "intrigued" by the Texas shortstop. His eight-year, $120 million contract, signed in 2013, kicks in this year, so that's a huge commitment in years and dollars for a strong defensive player with no offensive upside. 

Ramirez would certainly be a nice alternative for the Yankees if they can convince the White Sox that moving him is in their best interest. He's 33 years old and guaranteed one more year on his contract at $10 million with a team option for the same amount in 2016, per Baseball-Reference. 

While not as accomplished with the glove as Andrus is, Ramirez has turned into one of the five most valuable defensive shortstops in baseball since 2012, according to FanGraphs' metrics. 

The 33-year-old has never been known for his patience at the plate, but a .273 average and 15 home runs last year are far better than anything the Yankees got out of their shortstops in 2014. 

As noted by Heyman, it certainly doesn't seem like the Yankees are going to move quickly on any move they make. The team will address shortstop at some point this offseason, though they seem likely to let the market take shape before doing anything drastic. 

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