Phillies: Evaluating the return for Cole Hamels three years later
By John Town
More than three years have passed since the Phillies traded away Cole Hamels. How much of a return have they gotten from the deal?
The Phillies made a franchise-changing deal more than three years ago when they sent longtime ace Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers. It was the most significant trade of the team’s rebuilding period as they now start to emerge from it.
Hamels remains an effective pitcher in the league. He was an All-Star the next season after the trade with a 3.32 ERA in 2016. It climbed up a run in 2017 and into this year, but he certainly isn’t a bad pitcher even at 34 years old. In three starts since being traded to the Cubs last month, he’s given up just two earned runs.
The Rangers and now Cubs have gotten solid results from Hamels over the last three years, but what have the Phillies gotten from the trade? Let’s take a look.