The San Diego Padres offseason is not complete despite a full outfield remodeling. According to reports, the Padres are "still alive" regarding trade talks for Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels.
CBS Sports is reporting the Padres have their eye on the left-hander, and are not trying to move recently acquired outfielder Wil Myers in the process. One executive told CBS that the Padres have a well-stocked farm system that may be able to get the job done, but a rival executive is refuting that thinking.
The rival exec brought up Philadelphia's exorbitant asking price for Hamels, and questioned if their heart is actually in dealing him. Myers is the type of MLB-ready prospect Philadelphia seeks-he has already won the AL Rookie of the Year-but San Diego doesn't want to trade him. A source close to the Pads said they "acquired Myers to keep Myers, not to use him as a chip."
Philadelphia would be wise to not undersell on Hamels. They are in the midst of a major rebuild, but Hamels still has tremendous value. He is 31 years old, coming off a 9-9 campaign in which he pitched to a 2.46 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, and is controlled through 2018, with a team option for 2019.
The Padres likely want to add Hamels to their young duo of Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner, but the Phillies may request one of them in return for Hamels since Myers appears off the table.
Other top Padres farmhands include catcher Austin Hedges, the organization's top prospect, pitchers Casey Kelly and Matt Wisler, two hurlers expected to reach the big leagues this year, and Double-A right-hander Zech Lemond.
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