Chicago Cubs Acquire Cole Hamels in Trade With Rangers
By James Neveau ••
The Chicago Cubs have made a big addition to their pitching rotation, acquiring pitcher Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers.
Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reported the deal as done on Thursday night, and the Cubs confirmed the reports on Friday.
In the deal, the Cubs will send pitcher Eddie Butler, minor league pitcher Rollie Lacy, and a player to be named later to Texas in the deal. According to reports, the Rangers will send a “significant” amount of cash to help cover the rest of Hamels’ salary.
Hamels has a 5-9 record and a 4.72 ERA in 20 games this season. He has been a strong postseason pitcher over the years, posting a 3.48 ERA and striking out 92 batters in 16 postseason appearances.
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Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers reacts after giving up a double to Mikie Mahtook of the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park on July 7, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. Hamels was pulled in the first inning.
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Several teams are rumored to be interested in Archer, including the Yankees and Padres, but the Cubs could definitely use a young arm like Archer, who is under team control through the end of the 2021 season.
NBC Sports Bay Area staff
UPDATE: Britton was traded to the New York Yankees on July 24 in exchange for three prospects.
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Bundy has a 6-9 record with a 4.57 ERA in 19 starts this season, and could be an intriguing player for the Cubs if they want to add young, cost-controlled pitching to their rotation.
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Assuming the Mets make deGrom available, the Cubs would be silly not to at least kick the tires on him. The Mets reportedly want a few Major League ready pieces, favouring a retooling instead of a rebuild, and that could benefit a Cubs team that has traded away a slew of top prospects over the last few seasons. The addition of deGrom would make the Cubs’ rotation one of the best in baseball, and with the struggles of Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks, could make a lot of sense.
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Dietrich would be a great piece for a Cubs team that highly values its flexibility, as he can play five different positions. The big downside for Dietrich, who is hitting .288 with 11 home runs, would be finding him a regular spot to play. The Cubs already have a glut of MLB-ready hitters, and it’s unclear who they would send out to make room for Dietrich. If another trade requires a player like Ian Happ to complete, then Dietrich could be a very intriguing option to fill that spot.
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The Cubs are likely satisfied with Victor Caratini as a back-up catcher, but the team does tend to try to lock up veterans for that role down the stretch, and Ellis would certainly qualify. A free agent at season’s end, Ellis is batting .284 in 109 at-bats, and could be a great complement to Willson Contreras and allow Victor Caratini to get more seasoning in the minor leagues.
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UPDATE: Eovaldi is heading to the Boston Red Sox after being traded July 25.
CSNPhilly.com
He has a 2.88 ERA in 40 appearances, and with Brandon Morrow’s durability a concern, adding another closing option could be a smart idea. nUPDATE: Familia has been traded to the Oakland A's for international slot money and two prospects.
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With options coming off the board quickly, the Cubs might look into grabbing Hamels as a starting option for the remainder of the season, especially with questions about Yu Darvish's health and Tyler Chatwood's consistency looming.
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UPDATE: Happ has been traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney.
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One of the more interesting trends in baseball has been the move to valuing relievers with unorthodox deliveries, and Ziegler qualifies. He has just 34 strikeouts in 47 innings, and does have just 10 saves in 47 appearances, but if the Cubs are looking for a value option with past success in his career, perhaps Ziegler could fit that bill.
