Phillies and Cole Hamels Agree to Final Arbitration Year; I Say Give Him $20 Million a Year

Posted by Frank Klose

Some lunchtime thoughts as I read that the Phillies and Cole Hamels avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one year, $15 million deal.  (Wilson Valdez, agreed to $930k as well).

Pay Cole Hamels.   Period.  $20 million a year, get it done.

Why?  The drop off is so significant.   Look at the following deals signed this offseason by pitchers:

• Mark Buehrle – Four years, $58 million ($14.5 average annual value)
• C.J. Wilson – Five years, $77.5 million ($15.5 average annual value) 
• Scott Boras is reportedly asking for $15-17 million per year for Edwin Jackson.

Do any of these players compare to Cole Hamels?  No.

The Phillies really have two options:  Sign Cole Hamels to $20 million a year, or, sign a second-tier (though decent) starter of the Mark Buehrle/C.J. Wilson ilk.    When you consider what Hamels brings to the Phillies and that the Phillies have more money than other teams, it is not worth the dropoff.   Even if the Phillies "overpay" Hamels (as many people like to criticize the Phillies for), the bottom line is that they will have the best possible staff.

Give him $20 million a year and be done with it.