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Cole Hamels Says There “Wasn’t Much Conversation” With Phillies
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Cole Hamels will play for the division rival Atlanta Braves next season, signing a one-year free agent deal worth $18 million.
The Phillies were not in that dollar range, reportedly offering about half the amount instead while locking up right hander Zack Wheeler on a five-year deal worth $118 million.
Hamels, speaking during a conference call Wednesday, said this about his former club:
“I have a lot of respect for them; it’s a tremendous team. I love the ownership there. They have some good players, guys I still talk to and I love the city there, but there really wasn’t much conversation. And that was something that my agent and I, we had a sort of ‘area’ that teams kind of needed to be at a range to start the discussion, and if they weren’t at that area then it wasn’t going to go anywhere.”
The Phillies were not in Hamels’ ‘area,’ but let’s hope they are in the area of Stephen Strasburg or another pitcher, because they still need another rotation piece.
Good morning.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com