Cole Hamels may be on the Philadelphia Phillies side during their three-game set at Yankee Stadium this week, but he is willing to jump ship to the Bronx Bombers should a deal come up.
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According to the New York Post, Hamels is willing to waive his limited no-trade clause to join the New York Yankees as the rumors continue to surround him with the July 30 trade deadline still over a month away.
"The opportunity to play for a team that could ultimately get to the World Series is what every guy hopes for and what every guy works for, starting with the offseason and spring training," Hamels told the publication.
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Hamels is also attracted to the fact that the Yankees may be contenders during his prime years.
"There are certain periods in your career, which are your peak years, and that's where you want to make the most of your impact, and I think that's where the situation really is," Hamels said. "To make the most of my impact, the opportunities have to be there, that's how you become even better. That's really how you get recognized for the work you put in.''
Hamels, 31, is under contract until 2018 and the lefty has been the subject of a lot of trade rumors in recent months as the deadline rapidly approaches.
The main concerns that may hinder a trade are over whether the Yankees have enough depth in their farm system to give up to land Hamels and if they'll take on his salary.
Hamels is owed $22.5 million for 2015 and $67.5 million from 2016-2018, and New York may balk at the prospect of picking up that hefty pact.
Still, after seeing top-of-the-rotation stars Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda get shelled in back-to-back days and with C.C. Sabathia past his prime, it could be a good move for New York in a tight American League East.
The Yankees enter Tuesday with a 38-32 record and trail the Tampa Bay Rays (40-32) by a game for first place, so they could be looking to add some pieces for the second half.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are a MLB-worst 25-47 and should be sellers at the deadline. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has been very demanding in what he wants in a potential return for Hamels, so a deal could be hard to come by.
New York is set to see what Hamels has when he takes the mound against them in the series finale on Wednesday opposite Adam Warren. Philadelphia took the opening contest of this series 11-8 Monday night.
Hamels is 5-5 this season with a 2.96 ERA, a 1.113 WHIP and 103 strikeouts in 14 starts.
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