Atlanta Braves: What Cole Hamels Means to Young Staff
Cole Hamels committed to playing in 2020 by signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, but pitching will not be the only thing he is doing.
Earlier this offseason, the Atlanta Braves signed veteran left-hander Cole Hamels to a one-year, $18 million contract.
Hamels has been an effective pitcher in this league since 2007. He is a four-time All-Star, a World Series champion, and MVP, and has finished top 10 on the NL Cy young ballot in four different seasons.
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Through 14 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs, Hamels has a career 3.42 ERA over 2,694.2 innings, holding a record of 163-121. The lefty is going to be 36 years of age at the beginning of next season.
The Braves are not expecting Hamels to be a Cy Young candidate. However, they are hoping to expect 160 to 180 IP and somewhere around 28 GS.
Atlanta is happy to have Hamels lead their rotation. More importantly, the Braves are looking forward to the mentoring and coaching Hamels can provide to the younger pitchers on their staff, like Mike Soroka, Sean Newcomb, and Max Fried.
Most importantly, Hamels needs to be a strong mentor to Max Fried.
Last season, the 25-year-old had his first full season for the Braves and showed glimpses of ace potential. Through 33 games and 30 GS, Fried went 17-6 with a 4.02 ERA over 165.2 innings.
Although his record was eye-catching and impressive, Fried performed mostly like a middle of the rotation pitcher.
Perhaps, Hamels, the veteran lefty, can have a heavy influence on the young lefty, Fried. This has been a common theme throughout the league, acquiring veterans to mentor younger players.
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This move was a great one for the Atlanta Braves and is really going to help the development of their pitcher overall down the road. Also, having Cole Hamels in the postseason will provide extra value.