In looking for rotation upgrades, the Washington Nationals have turned their attention to Cole Hamels, per Nationals rumors
With big pending free agents like Bryce Harper, Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Murphy on the club and even though they sit six games out of the National League East and five games out of a Wild Card birth, the Washington Nationals are going to continue to make a push to improve their club, so it’s natural that Nationals rumors will be frequent with 8 days to the MLB trade deadline.
They already acquired Kelvin Herrera this year and are turning their attention to an upgrade in the rotation. With Stephen Strasburg‘s usual health concerns and Tanner Roark really scuffling this year, they could use an upgrade.
One target could be Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers.
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Hamels has struggled since June, logging a 5.13 ERA in that time. Going into play last night, he was 5-8 with a 4.36 ERA.
The Washington Nationals are a club not listed on Hamels’ no trade clause, so he can go them without his consent. Hamels is due $7 million the rest of the way this year, with $20 million coming to him next year or a buyout for $6 million.
Gonzalez and Jeremy Hellickson are set to be free agents after the season, so if they kept Hamels, plus got the Rangers to pay some of the freight in the trade, it can give the Washington Nationals some protection for next year. Plus, with the way Hamels has been pitching, whoever gets him may want the Rangers to take on more and more of the contract.
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Are they truly interested though?
Person familiar with their past (me) notes that while Nats have taken on more money midseason in recent years, they've never brought on that much (7M this year, at least 6M buyout or 20M salary in '19). https://t.co/XJr5VrX0rq
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 24, 2018
Person familiar with Nationals' plans said reports of talks with Texas about a potential Cole Hamels deal are "not accurate."
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 24, 2018
Ahh trade season. What’s real? What isn’t? With a week left until the trade deadline, we will certainly find out that answer soon enough.