Cole Hamels Is Still Without An Extension

The Philadelphia Phillies have made it known that their focus has turned to one man, Cole Hamels. The 14-game winner’s contract will be up after next season and the only way the Phillies can avoid a bidding war is to sign Hamels to an extension.

Philly knows if they don’t sign the 28-year-old before the season’s start, questions of if he will return will be looming in the club house. Which is a situation Ruban Amaro Jr and Phillies’ management plan on avoiding at all costs.

Tuesday night, Phillies Assistant General Manager Scott Proefrock appeared on Comcast SportsNet’s Phillies Hot Stove and said, “We’ve had discussions with Cole. Right now, we’re focused on a one year deal.”

Is a one year deal really the best option for the right hander?

Hollywood posted a 2.97 ERA, career best, and finished fifth in the Cy Young Voting last year. (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were voted 2^nd and 3^rd). Regardless of the success of the two men ahead of him in the rotation, Hamels’ contract is up at the end of the year and he is due for a big payday.

By discussing a one year deal with the two-time All-Star, the Phillies are prolonging his inevitable departure. Proefrock believes that a one year deal can give Philadelphia some time to work out a contract.

“There’s plenty of time down the road,” he said when asked about a long term deal. Plenty of time down the road? Sure Hollywood is happy now, but with an unstable contract, how long can the last?

The lanky lefty earned $9.5 million last season and if Jered Weaver’s extension, averaging $17 million per year, has shown us anything it’s that teams are willing to pay BIG for pitchers. Buster Olney reported that the competition for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers could be a good thing for the talented southpaw.

With new ownership will come more money that I doubt will be left to decay in an underwhelming payroll. What does this mean for Hamels?

Should the MVP hurler decide to investigate the free-agent market, the Dodgers among many other notable teams would be willing to make him a sizeable offer. The Yankees, Mets and Red Sox all had quiet off-seasons should Hamels test the water, there will be a lot of teams throwing out bait.

The Phillies are still the front runner to sign the 74-game winner, but they need to act fast and with more than a one-year deal. An arbitration deal is just buying management time, which is an easy way to play it safe, but if the Phils don’t lock him up soon it will be more than just an arbitration they have to worry about.

Last November, Amaro Jr. told  the Philadelphia Inquirer Hamels’ contract was, “not a pressing need, but it’s something we’re absolutely on top of.” I don’t think Amaro was expecting his stud pitcher to be without an extension in the New Year.

Philadelphia needs to get Hamels’ contract figured out before the team heads to Clearwater, so he can go back to doing what he does best striking guys out.