Let the Cole Hamels bidding begin at 5 years, $112.5 million
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Let the Cole Hamels bidding begin at 5 years, $112.5 million
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Matt Cain's five-year, $112.5 million deal might be a starting point for Cole Hamels' next contract. (David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)
While the substance of negotiations between Ruben Amaro Jr. and John Boggs are unknown, today's news that Matt Cain has agreed to a five-year, $112.5 million contract extension should only reinforce what we already know. If the Phillies want to retain Cole Hamels, they are going have to pay him some serious coin.
Earlier this year, we took a look at how Hamels and Cain compare to each other. Long story short, five years and $112.5 million would constitute a hometown discount were Hamels to agree to a similar contract.
According to several reports, Cain will make $20 million per year from 2013-17, with an additional $12.5 million guaranteed coming in the form of a signing bonus and a buyout on an option in 2018. Cain, like Hamels, will make $15 million this season.
So there's your ground floor. On the open market, Hamels would surely command more than the five years and $120 million that the Phillies gave to Cliff Lee.
Last July, we took an early look at the Hamels situation, noting that it would only get more difficult to sign him as he got closer to free agency. At the time, we deemed five years and $95 million to be an aggressive yet reasonable offer. Now, you'd probably have to consider five years and $120 million to be the aggressive yet reasonable offer. Because on the open market, Hamels can certainly make the case that he is worth the seven years and $189 million that C.C. Sabathia got.
Comments (42)
I am amazed at the clueless dolts who post here and comment on my comments, as if I'm the idiot. I wish my browser and antivirus worked better so I could comment on them directly but here goes.....
Philly10...do you really not know that he had "loose bodies" removed after the season from the elbow? and to you others who say I don't have his medical info......
Do any of you know what "loose bodies" are? I'm getting tired of telling you all.....they are pieces of the cartilage that lines the elbow joint breaking off....that means the elbow is degenerating....that means early arthritis.....that means he won't complete a 5 or 6 or 7 year contract, maybe not even a 3 or 4 year contract.......that means his elbow is turning into Chase's kneecap......do you sign Chase to a new 5 or 6 or 7 year contract right now? With what you currently know? Of course not.
And just to complete the info for you...I have treated these things for 30 years in my sports med practice as a PT, so I know exactly what I'm talking about even if I don't have Cole' exact medical records in front of me......losse bodies are loose bodies....they're not different just because they Cole's!!!!!! His body is no different than anyone else's.....he doesn't walk on water and he can't stop arthritis from forming.
I want to see every one of you put up your life savings (though I doubt you have any) to add to what Rube gives him. If you had any stake in his contract at all, you'd never do it.— Mark1npt- I don't think that anyone is saying you're an idiot. I'm not but I think that it's hard for you to know the exact condition of his medicals a) because you're not his PT, b) you didn't do the surgery and didn't see inside his elbow and c) you're not involved in his recovery. We've had this discussion before and you can't conclusively say anything.
Loose bodies aren't always cartilage either. It can be a piece of bone (which although a connective tissue is not cartilage). From my quick searches online, I've found that his surgery was to remove bone chips. I've also found that although they can be the result of arthritic conditions, this is not always the case. Like for example, a pitcher who puts tremendous stress on his elbow.
Because, in medicine and science, nothing is 100% the same, and because you are the only one who is worried about this (i.e. not his doctors, the team etc who are way more informed than anyone on these boards or the columnists at these papers)it is hard for me to get on board with your grim diagnosis from afar.
Final point re: not having life savings. We can't all be super awesome PTs like you. Some of us actually could get into medical school....
(Note for other PTs and in general- much respect. This guy is just playing an ego card when other disagree) - This is great news for the Phillies. It sets a good baseline for contract negotiations and sets the market, so to speak. Btw Murph, Hamels does NOT deserve free-agent money because he isn't a free-agent. He could get hurt this year and end up with no contract from anyone but a 1 year incentive laden deal. So that has to be factored into the equation. If he wants the comfort of having a deal without any risk of injury this year impacting his contract status, then he'll have to take a little less than he would as a free-agent. You should know that Murph. That's the kind of thing I'd expect to go over Gelb's head, not yours.— JimG
- How do you know Phils mamagement delayed? They may have been aggressive and Hamels and his agent said "no thanks" or "we'll wait to see what happens with ..."
This is a business negotiation.
The Phils front office will do their best to determine how much value Hamels has to the team in comparison to what his replacement brings to the team, and the difference in their respective salary. For example, if they feel they have a workable plan to find another pitcher who can give them say five less wins a year but also cost less and then use the difference in the salaries to upgrade either the offense or bullpen or defense to the tune of ten wins then they have to consider that plan. They don’t have a crystal ball, but will do what is best for the team. We as fans have to hope their decisions benefit the team so we can continue to enjoy the Phillies’ recent success. The front office has to hope it works or they will get fired.
Hamels, for his part, has to decide on where and for how much money (and years) he wants to play. Part of the “where” will include factors such as the members and coaches of the other team, faith in the medical staff to properly diagnose problems and keep him healthy, how close the other team is to contending for a championship, whether he wants to live in the other city, endorsement opportunities, etc. Plus he will have pressure from the MLBPA to take the highest offer.
Not easy for anyone – team, player or fans.— SuperDuperKuperDude - It's an indictment of Amaro that Hamels wasn't locked up to a long term deal a while ago. He is an extraordinary talent entering his prime. Meanwhile, the same Amaro jumped the gun by prematurely extending Howard into his 30s for a team crippling deal. I don't think Hamels will do to the highest bidder, but he will go to where he can win over the next 5 years and if the Phillies don't allow promising young players like Brown to step up and establish themselves in the coming months, Hamels is gone.— jtj06
- Have to resign Hamels. He will be the bridge between eras. The team is on a decline (in my opinion...yeah, yeah, I know they won 102 games last year), and he should be around long enough for the (hopeful) resurgence.— Penfold18
- If they don't sign Hamels, after losing Draybek and Cosart in trades, plus Halliday only getting older, they deserve to lose. Hopefully, the light of reason will spark in the minds of the Phillies otherwise myopic management.— daystrum
- Goodbye Cole. Glad we got to know you. I'm sure Magic and his partners will welcome you home to LA LA land. Dodger Stadium will be a great place for you. Maybe you'll be a bit of the next Koufax.— sonnybuoy01
- JimG - I never said Hamels deserves free agent money. I said IF he were on the open market, he could make the case that he is worth Sabathia/Santana money. He isn't on the open market, which means he might "settle" for Cliff Lee money. But anybody thinking he is going to sign for Jered Weaver money is fooling themselves. We already knew that. But Cain's deal only reinforces it, because I think a lot of people thought that Hamels would check in at less than 5/112.5— dmurph003
- This kind of money to play baseball says a lot about the values in our culture.— Yodude2
Comment removed.- In addition to Hamels, I believe Victorino, Ruiz, and Pence (?) could be free agents. RAJ needs to get Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve to be part of the Phillies ownership group. Otherwise, I don't think the Phillies can print enough money to keep all of them.— ijj
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High Cheese is your place for the best Phillies coverage from the Daily News.
David Murphy
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