The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the games top trade chips in left-handed starting pitcher Cole Hamels and they have begun to field trade calls for him.
One team that has come calling about Hamels is the Toronto Blue Jays, but they were informed that Hamels would not waive his 20-team no-trade clause to go to Toronto, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Hamels, 31, has started the season with a 4-3 record, a 3.24 ERA and 62/23 strikeout-to-walk ratio. While those are not typical Hamels numbers, they are still very good, and he would have been a big upgrade in a Blue Jays rotation that needs a lot of help.
As Heyman pointed out, Hamels saying no to any potential deal to Toronto is a blow to the Phillies, since the Blue Jays have a decent amount of quality young pitching to offer in return.
That being said, with teams such as the Boston Red Sox and possibly Los Angeles Dodgers getting involved, the Phillies should have little to no problem finding a decent offer for Hamels.
Hamels’ long-term status with the Phillies remains unclear, but my money is on him being traded by the trade deadline.
Follow Robert Murray on Twitter @RobertMurrayBBE
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