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.

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.

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.

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Here is a look at how the players the Rangers reportedly sent to the Phillies for Cole Hamels have fared in their careers.

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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

Position: LF

Age: 21

Bats: L

Throws: L

Currently in double A

Position: P

Age: 29

Bats: L

Throws: L

Currently in majors

Position: P

Age: 23

Bats: R

Throws: R

Currently in triple A

Position: P

Age: 25

Bats: R

Throws: R

Currently in triple A

Position: C

Age: 22

Bats: R

Throws: R

Currently in double A

Position: P

Age: 21

Bats: R

Throws: R

Currently in double A

@jakemkaplan