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Multiple reports this evening that the finishing touches are being applied to the Cole Hamels-Rangers trade.

Jayson Stark, Jim Salisbury, Todd Zolecki and others are all reporting that’s the case.

Salisbury notes that pitcher Jerad Eickhoff has just been pulled from a Rangers AAA game. He posits that catcher Jorge Alfaro and others may be heading this way. Scouting reports soon.

This somehow isn’t as fun as the time the Phillies crowbarred Cliff Lee away from the Rangers. Gonna miss Cole.

Meanwhile, in New York, the Mets left Wilmer Flores on the field after being informed that he’s getting traded, and now he’s crying:

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Keep it here for updates.

UPDATE 1: Reporting!

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UPDATE 2: As of now, if Salisbury’s report is right, Eickhoff and Alfaro are the Rangers’ sixth and 15th ranked prospects, respectively, according to MLB.com. But wait, there’s, quite literally, more:

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UPDATE 3: Quick scouting report on Eickhoff and Alfaro, by Jim:

Pitcher Jerad (not Jared) Eickhoff is a 6’4″ right handed pitcher drafted in the 15th round of the 2011 draft. He was described by the Texas Rangers’ SB Nation site as a “potential workhorse starter.” He throws in the low-90s, though his fastball has touched the higher reaches of the 90s. They ranked his potention as that of a number three or number four starter or reliever. He falls at number 17 in MLB.com’s top 30 prospects for the Rangers.

Jorge Alfaro, a 22-year-old catcher, ranks as the organizations sixth-best prospect. Additionally, he ranks #69 in overall prospects (nice). The Colombian is described as having “the best combination of raw power and pure arm strength among Minor League catchers,” and he had ankle surgery in June. But his potential is a 20-plus home run guy:

Alfaro has the strength and bat speed to drive balls out of any part of any ballpark without selling out for power, yet he’s still overly aggressive at the plate. He swings and misses frequently, and he needs to do a better job of taking pitches and recognizing breaking balls. If he figures it out, he could be an average hitter with 20-plus homers per season …

Similarly, he has a cannon arm and good athleticism for a catcher but needs a lot of refinement behind the plate. He threw out just 28 percent of basestealers and committed 23 passed balls in 90 games in 2014. Though the Rangers have experimented with Alfaro at first base and in the outfield, they’re not giving up on the idea that he can become an All-Star catcher.

UPDATE 4: It sounds like Rangers prospect Nick Williams was just pulled from game. Scouting report on him coming.

UPDATE 5: Todd Zolecki reports Alec Asher coming as well. Scouting report soon.

UPDATE 6Carlos Ruiz es making me so sad: “I don’t know if it’s official, but definitely it’s sad when you’re around one of your teammates for a long time and then they have to go away.”

UPDATE 7: The bow tie man himself, little reporting baseball gnome Ken Rosenthal, says that the Phils are also sending the Rangers Jake Diekman and cash along with Hamels.

UPDATE 8: – grimace –

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UPDATE 9:

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Too soon to say, but the fact that they didn’t get anything better than the Rangers’ fifth-best prospect (though one is the best catching prospect in baseball) doesn’t make me feel great.

UPDATE 10: Scott Miller reporting Phillies will pay “a lot” of money, presumably of Hamels’ contract. John Middleton gonna need to cut back to two billionaire haircuts per month, per source.

UPDATE 11: There are also report that Rangers prospect Matt Harrison could be in the deal as well. Here are all the scouting reports.

UPDATE 12: Harrison is in the deal.

UPDATE 13: Per his Wikipedia page, Harrison, a former All-Star, is 29 and has undergone at least three back surgeries and his owed around $40 million over the next three years. Nice. Taking on salary.

UPDATE 14: Haha. Hamels declined the Astros.

UPDATE 15: Jake Thompson, the Rangers’ fourth-ranked prospect, is also in the deal.

UPDATE 16: Now we’re cookin:

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Mr. MacPhail, that you?