#4 Option: The Broken Record – Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels made it abundantly clear prior to the season that he has no desire to continue pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies. With Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart and Xander Bogaerts all filling everyday roles in Boston, the Phillies have finally turned their attention to the next best thing. But their remains one more significant obstacle to a Cole Hamels deal being completed, even if it were to be for a package centered on Manuel Margot and Henry Owens.
Hamels is under contract for a little over $70 million over the next three seasons before you take into account that if the Red Sox were to trade for him they would almost certainly be forced to take on his $20 million option for a fourth season. To take on such a large sum of money and give up top caliber prospects is not a decision that will be made lightly, and it is the reason so many balked when the Phillies had been asking for Swihart. But that contract is going to look very reasonable compared to the ones Cueto, Zimmermann and David Price will almost certainly be signed to this winter, and if the Red Sox want an ace, this is perhaps still the best route.
2015 stats: 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 3.9 BB/9
Probability: Medium
Impact: Very High
Risk: Medium
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