by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com
Wed, 22 Jul 2015 11:15 PM ET


The Cubs are offering standout prospect Javier Baez and established shortstop Starlin Castro in an attempt to land Phillies prized pitcher Cole Hamels, a team executive has told ESPN.com senior baseball writer Jayson Stark.

Stark added, however, that the Phillies are not enthralled with either player. But the Cubs remain determined in their efforts to trade for Hamels.

"I don't think they'll be in the rental market," the executive who has spoken to the Cubs told Stark. "So the value to them, with Hamels, is the three years [left on his contract]. This isn't just about selling out to go for the wild card. It's about getting ahead of [the free-agent ace market] this winter."

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Not interested in Hammels.

If they trade for a big time pitcher at the deadline it needs to be Price.

Other than that trade for a lower level pitcher and roll the dice for the rest of this season.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I'm not really interested in Hammels but for Castro and Baez? Sure. Both are bums and you get Hammels for three years. Not surprised the Phillies are telling Theo to go fuck himself though.

Can he throw to first? Another 30+ year old SP. This should go swimmingly

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-- source

I wonder what the price is for Mike Leakes (correct name?),who seems to be pitching very well.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

The Cubs do need another starter but Richards has been passable in the #5 role so far. I just don't want to see the Cubs give up too much for a guy.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

No doubt.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

hasn't cole hamels been getting lit up something like 7.50/1.70 style over his last month or so?

i don't trust the guy. granted this is because i had him on a flagship fantasy team for that season he was like 4.25-4.40/1.20+ before he resumed his high 2s/low 3s ERA career stats thing, but just like lester i'm not one to trust the guy when it counts.

oh and no matter how many times terry says that schwarber is an AL guy, i want that dude hitting for my team so i aint sending him away for cole fucking hamels. worst case scenario: how much worse could he be in LF than cockland/denofria? you make concessions to have that kind of bat in your lineup cuz that schwarber/bryant/rizzo/soler part looks really really nice going forward.

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I'm not crazy about Hammels , but Castro and Baez suck .. That's a good trade for the Cubs .

I just wonder if they did land Hamells ..do they not grab a Cueto or Price or Greinke this off season.. Then no , don't make the trade.

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No disrespect,but I'm sick of guys saying "So all he's replacing is Coughlin/Denorfia". Those 2 guys have been the most solid hitters outside of Rizzo the Cubs have had all year. Couglin was making some linedrive outs in April but he has settled in. Get rid of Fowler (trade) and platoon Coughlin/Denorfia in CF.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

For fuck's sake, his name is HAMELS.

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-- source

And Coghlan**

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

You move Baez and Castro for Hammels to prepare for the next few years.

Rotation next season.

Price/Cueto/Grienke
Arrieta
Lester
Hamels
Hammel

R.I.P Cardinals

I wish.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

That's a lot of payroll gay, Hammels is making 20 mill per..Price-cueto- Greinke are going to making close to 30 per seaso .

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I know it's alot of dough but I can see that being Theo's plan. Get Hammels at the deadline since he is already locked up and then go after one of the big three FA next year. Ricketts have the money. I'm all in.

Or I'm totally full of shit and just a Cubs fan who loves new toys, which is probably more realistic then spending half a billion on starting pitching. I can dream though.

uhhhh jimmy.... love you love your suit and etc etc.... but have you watched schwarber hit? something like 3 3/+ hit games in his first 11 (and methinks that includes PH appearance games) and with the other night's 9th/13th inning heroics he's up to 2 4 hit games in this first ~11. this kid can fucking hit and he aint taking no 21 games to show off the warning track power like babe bryant did. i'm sure cockland/denofria have been great and consistent and all that.... but they aint' kyle "babe fucking ruth" schwarber. i want his bat in my lineup as much as possible if not every day if i'm the cubs/fans/etc.

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I agree with you....I'm talking about moving out Fowler to make room for the platoon of Cogs and CD in CF

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Javier Baez is going to be a solid major leaguer, if not a really good one. Writing him off after 200 AB at the age of 21 is just dumb. Especially when his 2015 AAA season this year has been much improved from his 2014 AAA season. His walk rate is up, strikeout rate is down, and the batting average is way up. He is making adjustments. The timeframes of his struggles and improvements have been so consistent at each level of the organization.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Also, no way I trade for Hamels over Price.

Price would be cheaper, and there is a good chance he would resign with the Cubs if the team has a good run at the end of 2015.

Hamels would cost too much in prospects, and even though Price's future years would cost more annually, I trust Price to perform longer.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Agree, not ready to give up on Baez. I've seen enough of Castro. Unfortunately, so has the rest of the league. There's lots of talent there but his head is messed up. A change of scenery would probably do him wonders. I had high hopes for him. Million dollar talent with a 10 cent brain.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

No Thanks.

Been flat out awful last two starts and hit or miss for last six weeks.

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Agreed. I would call the Braves and Mets.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

If you're trading those two away, it better be for Price. Piss on Hamels ... isn't he a head-case too? If so, who needs that crap?

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Detroit would probably have no interest in Baez or Castro. You'd have to give them more.

Everyone seems to forget that the Cubs are going to have to lock up Arrietta this offseason (or stand to lose him in FA) and right now he is going to cost you $20 million per.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Cubs are going to sign him in the offseason anyway.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

and Rondon and Fillmore

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.