The Texas Rangers had been one of the teams reportedly involved in trade discussions with the Philadelphia Phillies for Cole Hamels.
It now appears that Texas has landed the ace pitcher.
To recap: #Rangers to acquire Cole Hamels for OF Nick Williams, C Jorge Alfaro, RHP Jerad Eickhoff, and at least 1 more player. @FOXSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 30, 2015
While Texas is out of playoff contention at this point, the reasoning behind adding Hamels is to give the team an upper-echelon starter atop its rotation as it begins a retooling process. Hamels remains under team control for the next three seasons at over $70 million with a $20 million option for 2019.
Considered one of the top pitchers in the game, Hamels last start for Philadelphia ended in him no-hitting the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field over the weekend. the 31-year-old three-time All-Star has put up a 6-7 record with a 3.64 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 20 starts this season. Though, those numbers are a tad inflated by the two-game stretch prior to the no-hitter that saw him yield 14 earned runs.
Another report from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has further specifics on the deal:
FInal deal and its a doozy: Matt Harrison, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro & Jake Thompson for Hamels+Diekman+Cash.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) July 30, 2015
According to MLB.com, Nick Williams, Jake Thompson and Jordge Alfaro were top-six prospects in the Rangers system prior to the trade. Williams, a 21-year-old outfielder, is hitting .300 with 13 homers, 45 RBI’s and a .837 OPS for Double-A Frisco this season. Thompson is currently pitching at Double-A where he boasts a 6-6 record with a 4.72 ERA in 17 starts. Alfaro, 22, is considered one of the top catching prospects in the game. Though, he’s hitting just .253 at Double-A this year.
Photo: USA Today Sports