Milwaukee Brewers: Should the deal for Cole Hamels?

The Texas Rangers recently announced that they are open to trading some of their veteran players. Cole Hamels is listed as one of those names. The Milwaukee Brewers are included on the list of his possible landing spots.

The Texas Rangers are looking to trade away some of their veteran players, and lefty Cole Hamels is on the list. The Milwaukee Brewers have two lefties in the starting rotation, in Brandon Woodruff and Brent Suter. Both have struggled with consistency so far in 2018.

Wade Miley hitting the 60-day DL hurt the Milwaukee Brewers. They don’t have a veteran lefty presence in the starting rotation. Adding a veteran like Hamels would add experience to the rotation. Hamels has been in the big leagues since 2006.

This Year’s Numbers

This season has not been the best so far for Hamels. His record sits at 2-4, and his 3.66 BB/9 is one of the highest rates he has had in his career. He struggled early with maintaining his fastball, but he has since turned it around. According to MLB Trade Rumors, his K/9 rate (9.93) is the highest it has been since his rookie season.

His 2017 year wasn’t great either, and his ERA sat at 4.20. His drop off may be due to his age, at 34 years old. After facing the struggles that he had earlier this season, it may be worth the gamble for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Problem

Hamels has the option of blocking trades with 20 Major League teams. Of the nine teams that he was willing to be traded to when he updated his list are two NL Central teams, the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs were also mentioned as one of the five teams that are a likely landing spot for him.

In fact, the only two teams that were mentioned that are not on his no-trade list are the Cubs and the Phillies. The others mentioned were the Yankees and the Diamondbacks. What that means for the Milwaukee Brewers, then, is that Hamels would have to accept the trade in order for it to happen.

The Price

The Rangers seem to be going in a younger direction. They’re interested in trading away all of their veterans for a reason. They could potentially look to bolster their minor league systems, or even some prospects that are nearly ready to hit the big leagues. If they look to formulate a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s unclear exactly what they would go for.

If they are looking for outfielders, they could go after prospects like Trent Grisham. They are also looking for a catcher, so they could look at K.J. Harrison. They could also look for some new starting pitchers. The Brewers have an abundance of pitching talent in the minors. Some possibilities would be Marcos Diplan or Luis Ortiz.

The question then becomes, if the opportunity arose, would the Milwaukee Brewers be willing to give up that much young talent to acquire a veteran pitcher.

Will it happen?

It’s highly unlikely. Even if a deal is reached between the Brewers and the Rangers, it’s likely that Hamels would block it. It isn’t completely out of the question, but it is remote possibility. Hamels recently updated the his list, so it isn’t likely he will change his mind.

Next: Should they consider signing Chase Headley?

While the Milwaukee Brewers were on the list of his likely landing spots, it is extremely unlikely the Crew engages in a trade with the Rangers for Hamels.