The corner locker stall long occupied by Cole Hamels remained untouched Thursday afternoon, a day after the Phillies agreed to trade their ace pitcher to the Texas Rangers for five prospects.
Jake Diekman, the hard-throwing reliever also in the deal, arrived to Citizens Bank Park per usual and plopped down in the bullpen at the start of the game.
Such is the awkwardness occasionally involved with the formalities attached to multiplayer trades. The blockbuster trade that will send Hamels to the Rangers is still happening. It's simply taking longer than expected to finalize.
The prolonged wait stems from a delay in exchanging medical records of the eight players involved, according to multiple reports.