This article is courtesy of our friends at BigESportsTalk
Written by: Eric Jacinto
Starting left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels is a free agent at the end of the 2012 season, and
if he’s not resigned when free agency starts, he may very well end up being a former Phillie.
Hamels has been known as one of the best left-handed starting pitchers, but he’s also
emerged as one best overall starting pitchers in baseball right now. Most notably, he led the
Phillies to the 2008 World Series, going 4-0 with an outstanding ERA of 1.80, winning the
NLCS and World Series MVP in the process. Since that time, Hamels has proven that he
can be counted on for elite starting pitching.
Cole Hamels, holding the 2008 World Series MVP Trophy, on the right and Ryan Howard
holding the 2008 World Series Trophy on the left side!
If the Philadelphia Phillies failed to sign Hamels and let him go to free agency, they would be
making an enormous mistake. Here are three reasons why signing Cole Hamels is a must:
Firstly, aces Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee aren’t getting any younger. Both are in their early
30s. Roy Halladay turns 35 in May, while Cliff Lee is now 33. They’re both still at the top of
their games now, but with age comes injuries. And who knows how long either of them plan
on pitching. Without a doubt, Hamels should be recognized as the future of the Phillies’
pitching staff.
Another big reason why Hamels should be resigned is that the Phillies don’t currently
appear to have a “Future Ace” in their farm system. Without a highly regarded prospect, the
best choice is to stick with Hamels, who has proven himself, but is still fairly young. In
today’s game, you need that ace who can stop losing streaks, win big games down the
stretch, and pitch well in the playoffs. Cole Hamels is undoubtedly a legitimate ace that you
can rely on in these types of situations.
Lastly, not only is Hamels at the prime of his career at 28 years of age, but he’s still getting
better every season. In fact, last year he had his best season yet, going 13-6 with an ERA of
2.53 and 150 strikeouts. He also added a cut fastball to his pitching arsenal (which he
perfected in 2011), making him more versatile than ever. Furthermore, if not for the lack of
ran support he’s dealt with, he could have very possibly won more games in 2011 and
finished in the top three in Cy Young voting. Instead, Hamels finished fifth behind Clayton
Kershaw (Cy Young winner), Roy Halladay (2nd Place), Cliff Lee (3rd Place) and Ian
Kennedy (4th Place).
Cole Hamels, Starting Pitcher (Philadelphia Phillies)
In addition to all of this, Cole Hamels has made it clear that he wants to be Philadelphia
Phillie for the rest of his career, and that he loves playing for this city. It seems the
Philadelphia Phillies and Cole Hamels are just right for each other. Hamels has been with
the Phillies all his career, and he won a championsip here. However, the Philadelphia
Phillies need Cole Hamels more than Cole Hamels needs the Philadelphia Phillies, and this
is because he would likely sign somewhere else if the money he wanted was offered. The
Phillies can’t let him go to the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox or the Los Angeles
Dodgers because it would be hard to out bid those teams; especially the Yankees and Red
Sox. Case Closed: the Philadelphia Phillies must resign him or else. Cole Hamels is a
perfect fit for this team, and Phillies fans don’t want to see him in another uniform.
