Yes, we're still talking about a possible trade between the Red Sox and Phillies that would send left-hander Cole Hamels to Boston. Although the Red Sox are hesitant in surrendering their top prospects, HNGN provides a way for them to potentially cope with the loss of top talent.
Phillies' general manager Ruben Amaro said he wants three top prospects in return for Hamels, who has four years and $96 million left on his contract. It is indeed a demanding return, but Hamels' ability cannot be questioned because he owns a 108-83 career record to go along with a 3.27 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 275 games. He also won MVP of the 2008 NLCS and World Series. Boston has no ace in a rotation that consists of Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, Justin Masterson and Joe Kelly.
"There have been no talks this month between the Phillies and Red Sox, according to a major league source," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "The Red Sox will not part with Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart. The Phillies would need to get one of the two for Hamels to make a deal they feel comfortable with, and the Red Sox haven't budged. Meanwhile, the Phillies are getting sniffs from the West Coast on Hamels."
These two clubs have revisited negotiations a number of times already, so it's not unusual there haven't been any discussions yet this month. However, we do know Amaro isn't afraid to play the waiting game, since he's been doing that since July. He dealt veterans Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd this offseason and got prospect pitchers in return for them, so it's clear he's looking to move veterans in order to successfully rebuild, but Hamels is a different story - he possesses the greatest trade value because he's a left-handed ace and is under contract for at least another four seasons.
Trading Swihart and/or Betts for Hamels wouldn't be a terrible idea since the Red Sox have depth in both the outfield and at catcher. The team has 24-year-old Christian Vazquez behind the plate, who manager John Farrell said he's "very comfortable" with as the starting catcher for 2015. He appeared in 55 games for Boston last season after seven seasons in the minors, during which he slashed .265/.344/.392 with 38 home runs and 251 RBIs in 500 games. As for Swihart, the 22-year-old has batted .284/.338/.431 with 22 home runs and 159 RBIs in 307 minor league games. There wouldn't be too much of a difference if Boston opted to package either one of them in a deal for Hamels.
And although Betts has showed he can someday be a great talent in the league, the Red Sox have a stacked outfield that consists of Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo, Shane Victorino, Allen Craig and others, who would be much more difficult to trade because of their contracts. Betts also played most of his career as a second baseman, which is where Dustin Pedroia will remain through the 2021 season. The team has utility man Brock Holt (.281/.331/.381 with 68 runs scored, 29 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 106 games) and used him at every position except pitcher and catcher in 2014.
A potential option for Boston to hedge their bet if they were to part ways with Betts is if they signed Cuban defector Yoan Moncada. Primarily a second baseman, the 19-year-old is said to be one of the best Cuban prospects because of his speed and power for a middle infielder. The switch-hitter is awaiting clearance from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control and is expected to land a $30 million to $40 million contract. It was reported last week the Red Sox and New York Yankees were the "heavy favorites" to land the youngster, which would put them in an excellent position to keep their infield talented in the years to come.
It's also possible the Phillies will want a pitching prospect since Hamels and Cliff Lee could be gone in 2015. If Boston were to part ways with a young starter they could look to sign another Cuban defector in 21-year-old Yoan Lopez. According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, the right-hander is currently mulling offers and could break the $8 million bonus record for an international prospect. Since the Red Sox have exceeded their 2014-2015 international bonus pools, they can go after these two prospects because they're already going to be penalized.
So although each team is standing their ground to get what they want in a potential trade, it's clear the Red Sox have options and could make up for the loss of young talent if they were to acquire Hamels. The left-hander would arguably put them over the edge in the AL East, which is something the team needs to consider since they're lacking an ace in their starting rotation heading into spring training.
