What will it take to move Cole Hamels?

Jul 2, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure (left) talks with first baseman Ryan Howard (right) and starting pitcher Cole Hamels (center) during the fifth inning at Marlins Ballpark. The Marlins won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Cole Hamels isn’t a player you just give away. More obvious statements have been made, but probably not many.

The Philadelphia Phillies are moving into 2015 as an aging team and are coming off a last-place finish in the National League East. The terms “retooling” and “rebuilding” seem to come up on a daily basis for the Phils. One word might sum up their plans even better: rejuvenating. As in rejuvenating the club with young talent, seeing as the front office seems to think about 2017 is a reasonable time to expect the Phillies to be contenders again.

Should Philadelphia come to a deal for Cole Hamels, it will likely be a part of some rejuvenation.

According to CSN’s Jim Salisbury, the Phillies know what they’d like out of any Hamels deal that may go down:

“Industry sources say the Phils are looking for at least three top prospects, two that can play right now and another that isn’t far away.“

Now, the obvious question other than whether or not the Phillies would actually trade away their ace seems to be: which teams could accommodate these wishes?

It’s no secret at this point the Chicago Cubs have long had interest in Hamels. It’s also no secret they have some of the best prospects in baseball at this point in time. Whether or not they’d be willing to part with them is unclear.

The Boston Red Sox, also with plenty of talented prospects, appear in Hamels rumors quite often. Without question they’ll be looking to bounce back from a down year and the addition of the southpaw ace might be realistic for them as well.

For quite some time the Phillies have been reluctant to part ways with current household names still on the roster such as Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins. Hamels, a former World Series MVP, is still in his early 30’s and could be someone to build a rotation around.

The price for Cole Hamels seems to be set, but the Phillies 2015 roster is far from it.