Sources: Phils deal Hamels to Texas
TORONTO - The Phillies agreed to a trade late Wednesday that would send Cole Hamels, the franchise's best homegrown pitcher since Robin Roberts, to the Texas Rangers, baseball sources confirmed.
TORONTO - The Phillies agreed to a trade late Wednesday that would send Cole Hamels, the franchise's best homegrown pitcher since Robin Roberts, to the Texas Rangers, baseball sources confirmed.
Five prospects, including three of the Rangers' most touted, and 29-year-old lefthander Matt Harrison are coming to the Phillies in the deal, according to multiple reports. The Phillies are also reportedly sending lefthanded reliever Jake Diekman and cash to Texas.
Neither club announced the deal Wednesday night.
Righthander Jake Thompson, outfielder Nick Williams, and catcher Jorge Alfaro make up the centerpiece of the Phillies' reported return. Baseball America recently ranked them the Rangers' third-, fourth-, and fifth-best prospects.
Righthanders Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher are also reportedly coming to the Phillies' farm system.
Hamels, the MVP of Philadelphia's only major championship in the last 32 years, declined comment before leaving the Rogers Centre after the Phillies' 8-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. News of the trade came just five days after he threw his first career no-hitter, against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Thompson, 21, was regarded as the Rangers' top pitching prospect. They acquired him last July in the trade that sent closer Joakim Soria to the Detroit Tigers.
Williams, 21, is a left-handed-hitting outfielder who has spent most of his time in left field. Alfaro, 22, is one of baseball's top catching prospects but has been sidelined since June 10 with a potentially season-ending ankle injury.
The five minor leaguers play at the double-A or triple-A levels.
Williams was pulled from his game with double-A Frisco on Wednesday night. Eickhoff, 25, was pulled from his start at triple A after five shutout innings and only 59 pitches.
Asher is a 23-year-old righthander pitching in triple A.
Harrison is owed $26 million over the next two seasons after this year. He has made only nine starts since 2012, including three this month, because of multiple back surgeries.
The trade of Hamels, 31, means only Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz remain from the 2008 world championship team.
The Rangers, who are 48-52 and in third place in the American League West, sought Hamels with an eye toward next season, when they are set to return Yu Darvish and Derek Holland to their rotation. Darvish, 28, underwent Tommy John surgery in March. Holland, 28, has been out since April with a shoulder injury but could return in August.
Papelbon off books
In Tuesday's trade of Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals, the Phillies reportedly worked it out so that the highest-paid relief pitcher in baseball history will be off their books after this season.
The undisclosed cash considerations the Phillies sent to the Nationals in the deal totaled $4.5 million, according to the Washington Post, essentially covering what was left of the $13 million Papelbon was set to make this year. Papelbon waived his sure-to-vest $13 million option for next season and renegotiated a guaranteed deal for 2016 reportedly worth $11 million with Washington. Of the $11 million, Papelbon will receive $3 million as a deferred payment in 2017, according to the Post.
Righthander Nick Pivetta, the double-A pitcher the Phillies acquired in the trade, will join double-A Reading on Thursday in New Hampshire, where the team opens a four-game series.
The Return on Hamels
StartText
Here is a look at how the players the Rangers reportedly sent to the Phillies for Cole Hamels have fared in their careers.
Jorge Alfaro Catcher | 22 | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6-2 | 225 pounds
Year Level G AB H HR BB SO Avg. OPS
2010 Rookie 48 172 38 1 5 48 .221 .569
2011 Short A 45 160 48 6 4 54 .300 .826
2012 Low A 74 272 71 5 16 84 .261 .750
2013 High A 3 11 2 0 2 5 .182 .490
Low A 104 372 96 16 28 111 .258 .790
Rookie 6 21 9 2 2 6 .429 1.310
2014 AA 21 88 23 4 6 23 .261 .787
High A 100 398 104 13 23 100 .261 .758
2015 AA 49 190 48 5 9 61 .253 .746
Career 450 1,684 439 52 95 492 .261 .756
Nick Williams Leftfielder | 21 | Bats: L | Throws: L | 6-3 | 195 pounds
Year Level G AB H HR BB SO Avg. OPS
2012 Rookie 48 201 63 2 16 50 .313 .823
2013 High A 95 376 110 17 15 110 .293 .879
2014 AA 15 62 14 0 2 21 .226 .540
High A 94 377 110 13 19 117 .292 .834
Rookie 3 13 4 0 1 2 .308 .819
2015 AA 96 377 113 13 31 77 .300 .837
Career 351 1,406 414 45 84 377 .294 .832
Jerad Eickhoff Pitcher | 25 | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6-4 | 240 pounds
Year Level W L ERA IP H HR BB SO WHIP
2011 Short A 1 1 2.51 141/3 8 1 3 18 0.77
Rookie 0 1 1.93 42/3 1 0 1 4 0.43
2012 Low A 13 7 4.69 1262/3 132 22 38 90 1.34
2013 AA 1 1 7.45 29 34 6 14 13 1.66
High A 7 3 3.41 116 110 9 26 80 1.17
2014 AA 10 9 4.08 1541/3 129 17 52 144 1.17
2015 AAA 8 4 4.47 962/3 93 12 33 90 1.30
AA 1 0 2.70 10 7 2 3 14 1.00
Career 41 26 4.24 5512/3 514 69 170 453 1.24
Alec Asher Pitcher | 23 | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6-4 | 230 pounds
Year Level W L ERA IP H HR BB SO WHIP
2012 Short A 2 3 3.09 35 29 4 11 50 1.14
2013 High A 9 7 2.90 1331/3 120 10 40 139 1.20
2014 AA 11 11 3.80 154 139 18 32 122 1.11
2015 AAA 3 6 4.73 642/3 71 16 19 54 1.39
AA 1 4 3.98 43 39 3 18 43 1.33
Career 26 31 3.62 430 398 51 120 408 1.20
Jake Thompson Pitcher | 21 | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6-4 | 235 pounds
Year Level W L ERA IP H HR BB SO WHIP
2012 Rookie 1 2 1.91 281/3 14 1 10 31 0.85
2013 Low A 3 3 3.13 831/3 79 4 32 91 1.33
2014 AA 1 0 2.45 11 10 0 4 7 1.27
High A 6 4 3.14 83 75 3 25 79 1.20
AA 3 1 3.28 352/3 28 3 18 44 1.29
2015 AA 6 6 4.72 872/3 94 7 30 78 1.41
Career 20 16 3.45 329 300 18 119 330 1.27
Matt Harrison Pitcher | 29 | Bats: L | Throws: L | 6-4 | 240 pounds
Year Level W L ERA IP H HR BB SO WHIP
2008 MLB 9 3 5.49 832/3 100 12 31 42 1.57
2009 MLB 4 5 6.11 631/3 81 9 23 34 1.64
2010 MLB 3 2 4.71 781/3 80 10 39 46 1.52
2011 MLB 14 9 3.39 1852/3 180 13 57 126 1.28
2012 MLB 18 11 3.29 2131/3 210 22 59 133 1.26
2013 MLB 0 2 8.44 102/3 14 2 7 12 1.97
2014 MLB 1 1 4.15 171/3 20 1 12 10 1.85
2015 MLB 1 2 6.75 16 19 3 6 5 1.56
Career 50 35 4.21 6681/3 704 72 234 408 1.40 EndText
Headed to Philadelphia
Nick Williams
Position: LF
Age: 21
Bats: L
Throws: L
Currently in double A
Matt Harrison
Position: P
Age: 29
Bats: L
Throws: L
Currently in majors
Alec Asher
Position: P
Age: 23
Bats: R
Throws: R
Currently in triple A
Jerad Eickhoff
Position: P
Age: 25
Bats: R
Throws: R
Currently in triple A
Jorge Alfaro
Position: C
Age: 22
Bats: R
Throws: R
Currently in double A
Jake Thompson
Position: P
Age: 21
Bats: R
Throws: R
Currently in double A
@jakemkaplan