A number of credible reports have surfaced in the last day or so, saying that the Phillies have again begun scouting the minor league system of the Boston Red Sox for possible trade packages in a Cole Hamels deal.
The increase in Hamels rumors is a direct by-product of serious injuries beginning to strike the pitching rotations of a number of major league contending hopefuls, as well as the poor performance to this point of the Boston starters.
In recent days, the Dodgers lost Brandon McCarthy, the Cardinals lost Adam Wainwright, and now the Yankees appear to have lost Masahiro Tanaka.