Big Time Ace or Big Time Mistake

The Rangers officially acquired Cole Hamels on Thursday July 30th in a 8 player blockbuster. In exchange for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash, the Phillies received catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, outfielder Nick Williams, and pitchers Alec Asher, Matt Harrison, Jake Thompson, and Jerad Eickhoff.

The acquisition of Cole Hamels adds a true ace to the struggling Rangers pitching staff and a new life to the Rangers wild card hopes. At first glance the trade looks like a great deal for both teams. The Rangers get Hamels to bolster their weak rotation and the Phillies get some fantastic young prospects to speed up their rebuilding process.

However the question I ask Jon Daniels and the Rangers Front office is why? The Rangers gave up top caliber prospects in Thompson, Alfaro, and Williams, and gave up MLB ready players in Asher and Eikhoff.. Why trade away such valuable prospects to try and make a wild card run that seems so unlikely? What can Hamels do now that is worth giving away the best young players of the Rangers future?

I answer your question with how all great baseball people would answer, with numbers. From 2010-2014 Hamels pitched 6 games against AL opponents and possessed an impressive 3.62 ERA in 32.1 IP with a 4.43 K/BB ratio. With an arsenal of a 4 seam fastball, cutter, changeup, and curveball Hamels is especially good at keeping hitters on their toes. Hamels has a career WHIP of 1.14 and a changeup that is arguably one of the best in baseball. Hamels is a pitcher with no-hit stuff night in and night out that can excite the Rangers locker room and fans and provide the spark needed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2012.

Whether it is a change in the locker room or the fans in Globe Life Park the Rangers who seemed so far out of the playoff hunt at 6 games back at the trade deadline now sit 2 games back from their first postseason appearance in 3 years. Jon Daniels may have had Rangers fans questioning his tactics at the deadline but come October he will have won their hearts again.

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