The 2012 season has been a year the Phillies have not been used to dealing with: failure. Until this year, the Phillies had not had a losing April since 2007. They went 11-12 in the first month of the season. Also, it was the first time Philadelphia started the year without key pieces Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Howard has been rehabbing a ruptured achilles, while Chase Utley is trying to regain whatever strength is left in his chronically hurt knees.
Philadelphia has opened their checkbooks to build around Howard and Utley, bringing in pieces like Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence, and others. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has spent his money freely, and with no issues.
That was, until this season, a year with challenges around every bend. The Phillies wild spending has finally caught up with them, and has completely handcuffed Amaro this offseason.
Philadelphia will payout Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jonathan Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins a combined $104 million. The San Diego Padres entire payroll in 2012 is $55,244,700. And in the 2012 offseason, two key pieces to the Phillies success, SP Cole Hamels, and OF Shane Victorino, are set for Free Agency.
Victroino is making $9.5 million, while Cole Hamels is making $15 million this year.
The Phillies have spent the past few years revamping their Starting Pitching. Now, they must turn their focus to the Offense. The Phillies are hitting a very modest .261 this season. However, they have only been able to push across 151 runs, 17th in the MLB.
Their team is filled with many stopgaps, veterans who were brought on just to fill a hole. Ty Wigginton and Juan Pierre are by no means the future of the Phillies. Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins' offensive production is decreasing, and Howard and Utley will be health question marks for the rest of their careers.
If Philadelphia wants to continue to be World Series contenders, bringing in Offensive help is a must. B.J. Upton and Melky Cabrera are two possible Outfielders the Phillies could look into, and All-Star 3B David Wright has been tied to the Phillies for the past two seasons.
However, to bring in a big name Free Agent like David Wright, the Phillies will have to free up some cash.
That could come in the form of trading away Cole Hamels.
After signing a one year tender at the end of the 2011 season, the Phillies and Hamels have yet to come to an agreement on a long term agreement. And with Cole Hamels agent reportedly asking for a 7 year deal, there is good reason for that.
Further complicating the process, the Giants and SP Matt Cain, who has a career record of 72-75, agreed on a 5 year deal worth $112.5 Million. Do the math, that's 22.5 million a year. Hamels, who has a better win-loss record and ERA than Cain, can now come to the bargaining table and demand way north of that.
Plenty of big name teams have already expressed interest. The Los Angeles Dodgers under new ownership are willing to shell out big bucks this offseason, and the Red Sox and Yankees are always players when it comes to big names.
Over the past few years, the Phillies have traded away the future for a chance now, and rightfully so. Highly touted prospects, SP Kyle Drabek, OF Michael Taylor, 1B Travis d'Arnaud, 1B Jonathan Singleton, OF Anthony Gose, and SP Jarred Cosart were shipped out in trades for Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Hunter Pence. Once a farm system filled with talent ready to break into the bigs, now a holding cell of veterans over 30 and the self destructing Domonic Brown.
If you haven't gotten the point yet, I'll spell it out for you: trade Cole Hamels, reload the farm system.
If Philadelphia decided to dangle Hamels at the trade deadline at the end of July, he would easily be the hottest guy on the trade market. Playoff contenders like the already mentioned Dodgers and Red Sox could be intrigued by Cole Hamels, especially if he signed a multiyear contract. Teams such as the San Francisco Giants or St. Louis could use a starter like Hamels to put them over the top come October, even if just for a half year rental.
In any negotiations, the Phillies would hold all the cards, and could get away with holding out for that extra top prospect.
When the Phillies built their championship team in 2008, they did it from within. Rollins, Utley, Howard Victorino, Hamels, Ruiz and more all came from within the Phillies farm system. It is time for them to do so again.
If the Phillies decide not to deal Hamels and hope to sign Hamels after the 2012 season, they could come up completely empty handed. Ruben Amaro Jr. would be playing with fire in a bidding war over Hamels.
Philadelphia's financial situation is already tight, and the likelihood of them getting outbid is extremely high.
The Phillies have spent the last few years acquiring pieces, now it is time to get rid of one. Cherish the next few Cole Hamels starts in a Phillies uniform. It may be the last.
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