Phillies: Will there be a place for Cole Hamels back in Philadelphia?

Cole Hamels told reporters Tuesday that there is a possibility he could return to Philadelphia, but will the Phillies want him?

Cole Hamels is no longer the baby-faced 22-year old Jimmy Rollins dubbed “Hollywood” when Hamels strode into Phillies spring training more than a decade ago. He has since grown a full beard and is now a 12-year veteran in the major leagues. He won’t face his former team this week when they are in Texas as he is on the disabled list with an oblique strain.

Even though Hamels was traded away to help kick-start Philadelphia’s rebuild, he still has roots in the area. He owns a home in Delaware County and his charity still operates here. So it maybe it shouldn’t be that surprising that Hamels wants to come back.

Hamels told reporters Tuesday that there is a possibility he could return to Philadelphia someday: [quote via Matt Gelb of Philly.com]

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"“I never leave the door closed,” Hamels said. “It’s a special place and will continue to be a special place. There’s always those opportunities…“It looks like Philadelphia will have the perfect timing in the next couple of years,” Hamels said. “There’s no better place to play in front of a sold-out crowd every single day. They really do love baseball. As much as I know it’s a football and hockey town, baseball has a significant presence there. Especially when they’re winning. They live and breathe it.”"

Hamels could be a free agent as soon as after the 2018 season, but it is more likely that he will become available after the 2019 season since he has both a team option and a vesting option in his contract. Those options are for $20 million and $24 million, respectively.

Whenever Hamels does become available it should – hopefully – be when the Phillies are back in playoff contention if this rebuild goes as it should.

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Hamels will also be turning 35 or 36 depending on the year, and pitchers of that age are huge question marks in the rotation. However, Hamels may still be pitching well at that time. He hasn’t finished with an ERA above 4.00 or with less than 200 innings since 2009. He was an All-Star last year at 32 years old and isn’t one to land on the disabled list often.

On the other hand, there may not be much room in the rotation for Hamels at that time. The team has plenty of starting pitchers that are in the majors now or will be in the next two years.

If the team has a bunch of young starters who are strong pitchers and are still fairly cheap, it wouldn’t make sense for the team to commit upwards of $20 million to Hamels.

Philadelphia may also be spending money in other areas with Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, David Britton, and several other top-tier players hitting free agency after the 2018 season. Even if Hamels doesn’t hit the market until 2019, other top players like Jose Altuve, Madison Bumgarner, and Gerrit Cole will be available. The Phillies are more likely to spend money in those places versus an aging Hamels.

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However, Hamels could be more appealing to Philadelphia versus the other players because he may not command as much money or as long-term of a contract. Whether or not he would make financial sense in Philadelphia all depends on what he is looking for. The Phils will have the money, but he may not make the most sense to bring back in free agency despite how much everyone would love to see Hamels back in red pinstripes.

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