The "Cole Hamels Trade Rumor" horse has been beaten to death twice this offseason, but a recent development in the Texas Rangers camp may open up the proverbial floodgates for a move.
A report from the Associated Press on ESPN.com indicates that Yu Darvish, the ace of the Texas Rangers pitching staff, has partially torn ligements in his right elbow.
Darvish came to Major League Baseball from Japan before the 2012 season. He finished last season injured, missing the final seven weeks of the season and undergoing an MRI at the end of November.
While those scans came back clean, the 28-year-old felt more discomfort during the first few workouts of this year's Spring Training. Darvish will now receive a second opinion, as requested by his club.
Surgery is always a concerning option, but Darvish knows that, in the end, it may be the best decision to make the most of his career.
"I will be disappointed if I have to miss this season, but I want to look at all the options including getting a second opinion before I make a final decision. My heart is with my teammates and our focus remains on accomplishing our goals."
As far as the Phillies are concerned, this may be the prime opportunity to move lefty Cole Hamels.
Back in January, the Rangers emerged as suitors for Hamels, but the amount of money left on his contract came into question. However, that report came under the assumption the Rangers would have their ace in 2015.
The Rangers currently sit 11th of the 30 Major League teams in terms of payroll going into this season. Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo are among the big contracts in Texas, and the team has been involved in one trade already this offseason.
Adding Hamels to a rotation of Derek Holland, Yovani Gallardo and Colby Lewis certainly elevates the Rangers into a bigger contender in the American League West. The question for the Phillies, of course, is in the return.
There haven't been many reports of talks between the two teams, but the names that should be involved can be fairly simple to point out.
Third baseman Joey Gallo, right-handed pitcher Jake Thompson, catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Nomar Mazara are all possible prospect returns, while infielders Jurickson Profar and Elvis Andrus are constantly discussed in trade rumors.
There still remains the idea that the Rangers are unwilling to part with two or three major players, and instead to gamble on bringing back Cliff Lee.
Though he looked solid in his first start this month, Lee is returning from last year's elbow injury and has more money per season left on his contract than Hamels.
While the return for Lee may be significantly smaller, securing at least one high-level prospect would be a major push toward a rebuild. Plus, it would still leave the door open for that Hamels-to-Boston deal we hear about daily.
Once the decision on Tommy John surgery is made for Yu Darvish, reports will begin circulating rapidly on possible replacements. As it currently stands, the Phillies may be the perfect dance partner for the Rangers in this situation.
Andrew Gillen, Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com
