In this Phillies rumors and news update, the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly looking to hold on to starting pitcher Cole Hamels going forward. However, Cliff Lee might be an entirely different story.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, "the strong belief, based on talks so far with the Phillies, is that the team would much prefer to trade Cliff Lee than Cole Hamels."
While Lee has been sidelined by an elbow issue for the past few weeks, he is expected to return very soon - perhaps giving him two or three outings to impress potential trade suitors before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.
Lee is 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA this season, but his effectiveness could be overshadowed on the trade market by what could be an extremely pricey contract through 2016. Lee's back-loaded deal guarantees him $48 million through the end of 2015 with a $15 million vesting option for 2016. That option is very likely to vest, limiting the Phillies' options when it comes to finding trade partners willing to take on such an investment.
Both Hamels and Lee have no-trade clauses with at least 20 teams on them, but Heyman indicates that Hamels is more likely to utilize his than Lee due to Hamels' expressed desire to remain in Philadelphia.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has previously indicated that he is "open to anything" on the trade market, so keep your eye out for a ton of trade rumblings surrounding both pitchers in the next two weeks.
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