The final details are still being worked out, but the Cubs are on the verge of acquiring Cole Hamels. The main asset trading hands seems to be salary relief for the Rangers, who were on the hook for $14m going forward on Hamel’s deal. Going the other way could be P Rollie Lacy (Myrtle Beach) and OF DJ Wilson (also Myrtle Beach). Or perhaps not, as there is no certainty in this world of treachery and deception.
Hamels has had a down year with the Rangers, posting a 4.72 ERA with a 5.20 FIP. His strikeout and walk rates both look pretty good and are in line with what they were in 2016, his last healthy season.