Chicago Cubs: Cole Hamels deserved to go out with one last gem

We don’t know what the future holds, but there’s a very real chance that we’ve seen the last of Cole Hamels in a Chicago Cubs uniform.

Since returning from a mid-season oblique injury, Cole Hamels has hardly looked like the guy who anchored the Chicago Cubs rotation for the better part of a year. But looking to play spoiler to the rival St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, he had it all working – a fitting end to his time on the North Side.

Working on a soft innings limit given his ailing shoulder, Hamels turned in four shutout frames, striking out eight – and showcasing a fiery demeanor on the bump. After a pitch ran in on St. Louis backstop Yadier Molina, the Cardinals’ elder statesman jawed at Hamels – who was immediately ready to go.

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For a guy who’s known for his calm and collected demeanor when he pitches, I personally loved seeing that side of Hamels. Especially because Molina was acting like a clown – there was no chance that pitch was even remotely intentional and everyone watching the game knew as much.

Hamels had just one thing on his mind, though: proving he was healthy – and that his second-half performance was an outlier in what has otherwise been a remarkably consistent time with Chicago.

“Trust me, I know I’m healthy. I feel amazing,” Hamels said. “But, this is my first time going into free agency. I don’t want to put that in the back of teams’ heads of how I finished. I think I’m capable of what I was able to do in the first half. That’s who I am.”

The veteran southpaw finishes the year with a respectable 3.91 earned run average – a number that was greatly inflated by his 6.39 mark since returning from the IL. Prior to that point, he pretty much did what he showed he was capable post-trade last summer – giving an inconsistent rotation a stabilizing factor.

Last offseason, Chicago turned some heads when they opted to pick up Hamels’ $20 million team option for the 2019 season. With Hamels headed to the open market this winter, it’s unimaginable the Cubs would pony up that kind of coin for the left-hander again, but on a smaller deal, the 35-year-old might return.

“I enjoyed my time here, and I’d like to continue it,” Hamels said. “I do understand what they have to go through, construct, identify. But I would love to be a Cub. And I know, if it’s not the case, at least I left it out here.”

Indeed you did, Cole.

If Saturday night was the last time Hamels toes the rubber as a member of the Chicago Cubs, it was a fitting end to a brief, albeit successful run. If not? Let’s hope we see more of this type of dominance from Hamels again in 2020.