Chicago Cubs Rumors: Team has sights set on veteran Cole Hamels

Looking to shore up a shaky starting rotation, the Chicago Cubs are hoping to work out a trade for Texas Rangers veteran left-hander Cole Hamels.

In the midst of yet another frustrating Tyler Chatwood start, the Chicago Cubs are reportedly working toward a deal to acquire left-hander Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers.

Hamels, 34, is a far cry from the guy who anchored postseason rotations with the Philadelphia Phillies a decade ago. That being said, the Cubs’ current course – with Chatwood walking more than a batter per inning and Yu Darvish not throwing at all – is obviously unsustainable.

Darvish hasn’t taken the mound in two months – and while the team seems somewhat optimistic, it’s far from a promising outlook for the big right-hander. Chatwood, meanwhile, is a Rubik’s cube of a dilemma. The guy’s walk rate has skyrocketed above anything he’s put up before, all but erasing what would have been solid back-end contributions from the right-hander.

So, is Hamels Jacob deGrom? Absolutely not. Nor should you expect him to be. But what he does represent is a more stable option in the rotation – and an insurance policy should Darvish miss the rest of the season.

Chicago Cubs Rumors: Dig a little deeper to see the merit

When you tell someone the solution to a shaky rotation is a struggling left-hander in his mid-30s, you’re bound to get some looks.

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But it’s not out of the realm of possibility. On the year, Hamels carries a less-than-savory 4.72 ERA – a career-worst. Pair that with a 1.373 WHIP (also a career-high, and not in a good way) and 1.8 home runs allowed per nine and you see why folks aren’t overly keen on such a move.

Back in the day, Hamels was the toast of the National League. From 2007 to 2012, the southpaw averaged 31 starts per year for the Phillies, putting up a 3.26 ERA, 3.54 FIP and 1.127 WHIP, winning 82 games in the process.

Of course, this coincided with Philadlephia’s back-to-back World Series appearances, including a 2008 title. Hamels earned NLCS and World Series MVP honors that year, thanks to a dominant showing on the hill.

In the last three years, though, things trended in the wrong direction in Texas. Since 2016, Hamels carries a 4.48 FIP and 1.289 WHIP through 76 starts with the Rangers. This year has by far been his worst, but it might just be playing in Arlington that’s really plaguing the lefty.

Chicago Cubs Rumors: Steady, not stellar – that’s what we need

Quit thinking we need an ace. We don’t. Period.

You want to decimate this team’s big league positional depth? What if, God forbid, Kris Bryant misses the rest of the season with his shoulder issue? Say that happens after we trade Ian Happ and Addison Russell, along with our top prospects to New York. You want to trot out David Bote and Tommy La Stella every day on the left side?

Sure, we’d have Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez in the mix as well, but I’ll stick with Happ filling in for Bryant and going low on someone like Cole Hamels instead, thank you very much. According to Joel Sherman, the Cubs are likely to pick up only around $4 million left on Hamels’ deal if a trade is completed. With $14 million left until they break the luxury tax threshold, this leaves plenty of wiggle room for any more potential deadline deals.

Four million dollars and secondary prospects? Yes, please.

Chicago doesn’t need a world-beater right now. At some point, you have to have the guys on the roster play up to expectations. Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks – namely the latter – need to pitch more effectively. If they don’t, you needn’t worry about how the postseason rotation lines up, because it could very well cost them the division.

Hamels gives you a low-cost, quality-assured insurance policy that just might surprise you in ways you wouldn’t think possible with a quick glance at the numbers.