Rumors: Texas Rangers May Move Cole Hamels Sooner than Later

The MLB trade deadline is a month away but already the Texas Rangers may be gaining traction in the market for Cole Hamels.

Perhaps the player who will garner the biggest return this summer for the Texas Rangers, Cole Hamels may see himself in a new uniform before the All-Star Game. Jon Morosi of MLB Network and FOX Sports tweeted out late Thursday that Texas was shopping Hamels and deal prior to the All-Star break could happen. Here’s the tweet below.

Now this is an interesting development as we covered the timeline for Cole Hamels deal here at Nolan Writin’ just a week ago. At that time, I predicted a deal for Hamels would get done sooner rather than later as his stock seemed to be rising. Additionally, Hamels that although Hamels would get moved to a contender, it likely could be a team locked in a tough divisional battle who really needs a pitcher to put them over the top in the second half of the season. Although my timeline of Cole leaving Texas before the end of June seems to be off, the MLB All-Star Game is set for July 17th meaning a deal prior to that would be a couple weeks ahead of the deadline.

This is a bit of a surprise though as it was reported just a couple of days ago that the Rangers were actively shopping three players before the deadline and Hamels wasn’t among those names. If the market is gaining enough traction that Morosi thought it pertinent to tweet out, then I think that’s our signal that Hamels days in Arlington are numbered.

Why Is This a Good Thing?

If a team is willing to deal for Cole Hamels early in July rather than waiting until the 31st, it could be a sign that they are a bit more desperate for his help. This team may not be a lock to win their division or be fending off Wild Card opponents and his help could seal the deal. For the Rangers, desperation for them means more value for us. Simple economics explains this one for us. Supply and demand. Top level starting pitchers with experience are in very short supply. The demand for them is at an all-time high at this point in the season. And, the demand is not only abundant but fervent. Teams wanting to add a pitcher of his caliber, need a pitcher of his caliber to cement their playoff run. The Rangers will no doubt flip this demand into better prospects and more prospects.

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If Texas does decide to move Hamels in early July, it signals that they really value the return they’re getting. And if they value the return they are getting, then we should too.