He is owed a shit load of cash, but good to see them making an effort here.

Philadelphia report: #Cubs put in lone claim on Cole Hamels. @thekapman has more: http://bit.ly/1szf2v6 #CubsTalk

The Philadelphia Phillies put veteran starter Cole Hamels on revocable waivers on Wednesday, a process that allows them to pull him back if he is claimed by another team. Late Wednesday evening Mike Missanelli, a sports radio host in Philadelphia, tweeted that his sources say that the Cubs were the only team to put in a claim on the standout starter.

Would the Phillies consider dealing one of the top starting pitchers in baseball and the ace of their staff? Would the Cubs put together an attractive enough offer to convince the Phillies to trade him? Would the Cubs take on the nearly $100 million remaining on his contract that runs through 2018 with a team option for the 2019 season?

While the Cubs were unavailable for comment late Wednesday evening, I did speak with two major league baseball sources outside of Chicago who believe that the Cubs would indeed be willing to acquire Hamels if he was made available. In addition, it is worth remembering that before Hamels agreed to a $144 million deal in 2012, he reportedly had the Cubs on a short list of teams that he was interested in. ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote about potential waiver deals on Wednesday, and referenced the Cubs and Hamels in several scenarios that make smart baseball sense.

Could the Cubs be interested in Hamels as a staff ace? Most definitely. They could also be putting in a claim to keep other teams from grabbing him which would open up some interesting trade scenarios as Olney wrote. Whether or not Hamels is traded to the Cubs is not the big story here. Yes, a star like Hamels would be a huge addition to the organization, but the bigger message that discussions like these show is that the Cubs are serious about adding impact pitching to go along with the elite prospects that are going to form the core of their team over the next several seasons. Showing the baseball world that the Cubs are again open for business is refreshing and should signal a start of some very interesting times at Wrigley Field. And that’s a long way from the inactivity of the past few offseasons.

Here's a look at Cole Hamels' contract (courtesy Cot’s Baseball Contracts):

Cole Hamels, LHP
-6 years/$144 million (2013-18), plus 2019 option

Signed extension with Philadelphia on July 25, 2012
$6 million signing bonus
2013: $19.5 million, 2014: $22.5 million, 2015: $22.5 million, 2016: $22.5 million, 2017: $22.5 million, 2018: $22.5 million, 2019: $20 million club option ($6 million buyout)
2019 option guaranteed at $24 million if Hamels 1.) has 400 IP in 2017-18, including 200 IP in 2018, and 2.) is not on the disabled list with a shoulder or elbow injury at the end of the 2018 season
Limited no-trade protection (may block trades to 20 clubs each season); (for 2014, may block deals to all clubs except Atlanta, Boston, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, NY Yankees, San Diego, St. Louis, Texas and Washington)
At signing, the second-largest contract ever for a pitcher

Damn, that is a lot of money..I like him..not sure I like him for that coin though.

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100M for a crafty lefty.

Just goes to show you can be Chris Rusin (a crafty lefty) and be lucky to stay on a roster for more than 2 weeks or you can be Cole Hamels and pull down 22.5M per year and 144M over 7 years.

Crazy.

I guess it depends on what Lester, Price , Sherzer n Cueto command this off season...maybe its a fair price if those guys are getting 27-30 million per year...I just want two new starters...proven winners.

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I don't see the Phils getting rid of him anyway, but yea, they need 2 new proven starters badly. You know they will be throwing big money at Lester.

If the Phillies decide to allow him to go to the Cubs, just to be rid of the contract....great. But if it would cost them a top prospect-NO. They can wait for the free agency period in the offseason and get guys without losing top talent.

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Go Cubs!!!!

How about giving them Nate "DFA" Schierholz and Logan Watkins?!!



Agreed. No way they give up a premier prospect and absorb 22.5M per year for the next 4 years or whatever.

Interesting

I'd try to put a package together, but it wouldn't include Baez, Bryant, or Russell. Not for that contract...when you could sign similar free agents in the next coming couple of years.

But something that consists of some combination of Almora, Vogelbach, Schwarber, and others...maybe.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

This is the 3rd pitcher they have put the money on table for, not sure why anyone still thinks they arent going to spend money.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Wasting money on Edwin Jackson and feigning interest in Tanaka doesn't really count for much IMHO.

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Because it's very easy to be the second best bid consistently and act like you wanted to pay up. It happens.

Wasnt including E Jax

Tanaka at $160 Mill, being second highest bidder behind the yankees, at that point you cant do anything. If the Dodgers or Yankees want a player, they will be able to get them.

Angels, Rangers and I think the Padres next year get big TV money coming in.

They arent offering $15 M on $20 M players just so they can say "we are in on the _______ bidding"

To be clear, I dont even want Hamels. Just saying it is evidence of the willingness to pay

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I think it's reasonable to wait for ONE big money contract to be signed before saying he'll spend.

I think they realize they need to step up starting next year and put a real team on the field or they will continue to alienate their fan base.

Having said that, they have to be careful where they allocate those dollars because I don't see Ricketts ever approving a 175M+ big league budget until they have major revenue streams (TV etc) to offset that level of expense.

You're describing the Jerry and Kenny method. I would think bigfan knows that.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

I'm gonna say if they haven't alienated you guys yet, it's probably impossible to do so. Wait 'til next year!

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

That's not true. They'll be able to get 30 year old guys who are coming out of their prime by giving them 6-8 year deals at crazy money. Nobody is letting good young guys go. And Boras' next move has to be figuring out how to put a stop to these early signings like Longoria, Sale, and Singleton.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

They see the empty seats and the shit ratings. You know damn well that was one of the reasons Baez is up now: sell tickets and maybe increase leverage in negotiating a real TV deal.

They're not going to be negotiating a TV deal for awhile. And I highly doubt that Ricketts is ordering TheoandJed to move players around based on selling a few thousand more tickets. If they put a winner on the field, the park will be full.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

and of course the whole atlanta braves strategy of signing up any quality/looking young kid to a deal that buys out his arb years and 1-2 years of FA right off of the bat, offering them early financial security as a tradeoff for a team-friendlier contract than hitting arb years with a productive young player.

i was doing a yahoo gamecenter thing for the braves/mariners game yesterday and in the comments the braves fans (enjoying a 7+ game losing streak) were seriously bitching up a storm about how since all teh young kids are paid early they have NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT in the midst of SERIOUS losing streaks like this one. evidently boras has some allies in the working poor haterade brigade.

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The Cubs opted out of WGN. They have to negotiate a deal like right damn now or else they'll be relegated to brokering on The U Too.

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can you imagine if american baseball had relegation/promotion like european soccer? the cubs might have hit the equivalent of baseball's league one back in the 90s when they had the lineup with the "bermuda triangle" of blauser orie and servais.

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I don't think a month of Baez is going to help them do that.

I figured he was talking about when they were clear of the Comcast deal and could do whatever they want.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Pretty sure that bigfan mocked the White Sox Fukudome bid all the time.

It's easy to make bids when you know you don't have a chance at winning.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

i bet there's a 75% chance when the sox did the same thing with alex rios most cubs fans were like "HAHAHAHAH THOSE FUCKING LOSERS GOTTA PAY THE HUGE CONTRACT FOR A BUM NOW!!!!!!"

but when the cubs do it? good to see them making an effort. at least they're willing to put their money where my mouth is.

i guess that's cuz theo has a plan while kenny had some good times with toni braxton, eh?

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That reminds me of an old horseman I know named Emmett Liles from Selma, Iowa. Emmett is one sharp motherfucker. He buys cheap horses, gets them to go, and beats the shit out of everyone on the Iowa fair circuit. He told me one time that sometimes he likes to make the first or second bid on the best looking horse on the sale just so he can say, "Yeah, I was the underbidder on that colt" when he becomes a champion.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

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I like our system of promoting and relegating the players themselves more than promoting and relegating the clubs. The disparity in venue size and market size makes it impossible. The major leagues have never had true small markets, if you think about it.

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WTF?

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