MLB Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Buzz on Cole Hamels and Dan Haren

With most of the big names in free agency signed, sealed and delivered, teams in need of pitching or hitting have now turned to the trade market to improve their squad. Two of the big names making the rounds right now are Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels and a rather unhappy Dan Haren, who seems unlikely to ever pitch for the Miami Marlins.

We'll start with Hamels, who is the biggest trade chip the Phillies have left on their roster as they try to clear their team of expensive veterans in an effort to rebuild their farm system. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe has an update on any trade talks with the Boston Red Sox and other American League teams:

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There have been no talks this month between the Phillies and Red Sox, according to a major league source. The Red Sox will not part with Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart. The Phillies would need to get one of the two for Hamels to make a deal they feel comfortable with, and the Red Sox haven’t budged. Meanwhile, the Phillies are getting sniffs from the West Coast on Hamels.

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According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, the St. Louis Cardinals are also interested in landing the ace. And according to Jimmy Rollins, Hamels would love heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“He did talk about how lovely it would be if we both ended up in L.A,” Rollins said during an appearance on the MLB Network, via CBS Philly. “That would be one heck of a move right there.”

Hamels is a stud, and the Phillies are going to want a hefty return if they ship him out of town. He finished 9-9 with a 2.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 198 strikeouts in 204.2 innings pitched in 2014. He's has pitched 200 or more innings with 190 or more strikeouts in five of the last six seasons and was the 2008 World Series MVP, so he would instantly upgrade any pitching staff. 

Of course, any team interested in Hamels is going to have to give up several top prospects. That's the price you pay for adding a pitcher who can help lead you to the postseason and is a proven performer come October. It would be shocking if Hamels started the season in Philadelphia. A contending team will bite.

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The situation with Dan Haren is a bit trickier. Haren was acquired by the Marlins in early December along with Dee Gordon in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, Haren doesn't want to pitch for the team, preferring to remain on the West Coast. He is currently making his preparations for spring training on his own.

But Frisaro is also "hearing rumblings that Miami hasn’t given up hope the 34-year-old will have a change of heart and ultimately report to Spring Training with the rest of the pitchers and catchers on Feb. 20."

Now, that could simply be a smokescreen. If Haren is dead set on playing elsewhere next year, and teams around baseball know it, it restricts Miami's leverage in any trade. Teams aren't going to pay top dollar for a player they know doesn't plan on ever playing for the Marlins.

And indeed, while there is a trade market for Haren at the moment, according to Morosi, it appears to be a lukewarm one:

Might that trade market heat up if teams believe Haren could begrudgingly change his stance and stick with the Marlins?

Possibly. Haren is far from an elite option as a pitcher, but he's a nice, veteran addition to a rotation. He finished 13-11 with a 4.02 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 145 strikeouts 186 innings last year. He's no ace, but he'll certainly give a contending team quality innings over the course of a season. 

So yes, the Marlins would likely love to keep him. But more importantly, they need some way to gain a bit of leverage back in any trade talks. Suggesting that Haren might be having a change of heart about pitching for them would be one way to do just that.