MLB trade rumors: Price tag on Rangers’ Cole Hamels is climbing for Yankees … here’s why

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will be shopping for a starter before the July 31, 2018 (7/31/18) non-waiver trade deadline because of injuries to Masahiro Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery. Among the pitchers on the market is Texas Rangers southpaw Cole Hamels, whose price tag seems to be going up every time he takes the mound.

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The calendar flips to summer on Thursday, which means the MLB non-waiver trade deadline is fast approaching.

Teams have until July 31st to make a trade without having to get a player through waivers.

At this point, there appears to be more buyers than sellers on the market.

That would include the Yankees and GM Brian Cashman, who is shopping for a starter after having Jordan Montgomery and Masahiro Tanaka land on the disabled list.

Texas Rangers lefty Cole Hamels is available for the right price.

Problem is, his price tag keeps going up, and here’s why:

• In March, Hamels was 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in one start.
• In April, Hamels was 1-3 with a 3.97 ERA in six starts.
• In May, Hamels was 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts.
• In June, Hamels is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts.

The deeper Hamels goes into the season, the better he appears to be pitching. Hamels’ ERA has dropped in each of the first four months this season.

Right now, he’s 4-6 overall with a 3.41 ERA in 15 starts.

But in his last two appearances, Hamels was lights out: 13.0 innings pitched, one earned run, 13 strikeouts, and a 0.69 ERA.

Now, trading for Hamels was never going to be cheap. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal:

Hamels said last month his no-trade protection was “just kind of a formality,” but that would not stop him from asking a team on his 20-team no-trade list to exercise his $20 million option for 2019, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking.

Hamels’ rationale would be simple: If you want me, you also should want me for next season. Much is at stake for the 13-year veteran: If his option is not exercised, he would receive a $6 million buyout and become a free agent at age 35.

For all the talk of the Yankees acquiring Hamels, he still will be owed nearly $8 million at the deadline, making him a difficult fit for a team trying to remain under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold unless the Rangers included significant cash in the deal.

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However if Hamels continues to pitch at this level, it just might be worth it for a potential World Series contender such as the Yankees to take a chance on the southpaw.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.