The New York Yankees have reportedly thrown their name into the ring for Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels after contacting the Phils about potential trade scenarios with under a week to go until Friday's MLB Trade Deadline.
Via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
#Yankees contacted #Phillies on Hamels, sources tell me and @jonmorosi. PHI likes Judge; NYY not planning to move Judge, Bird, Severino.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2015
Yankees GM Brian Cashman is currently playing off the exchange as New York doing its due diligence:
Cashman: “We’ve had conversations with every club willing to sell, finding out what they’re willing to sell and what their price tags are.”
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2015
Cashman added: “You engage everyone about everything.” Standard operating procedure for #Yankees at this time of year.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2015
In short, a potential deal would likely come down to whether or not Phillies GM Ruben Amaro and the Philadelphia front office are willing to budge on their demands for an absolute blockbuster of a return at least a little bit. It is unlikely that the Yankees would even consider giving up Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, and Luis Severino in the same deal for any player, considering how integral that trio is to the organization's current rethink/youth movement.
Hamels is current 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 124 strikeouts in 119.2 innings for the Phillies this year. He slated to make $67.5 million combined from 2016-18 with a $20 million option year in 2019 (with a $6 million buyout).
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