Rangers officially acquire Hamels from Phillies in 8-player deal
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Cole Hamels is heading to the Lone Star State.
The Texas Rangers officially landed the left-hander along with reliever Jake Diekman and cash considerations as part of an eight-player trade with the Philadelphia Phillies that saw left-hander Matt Harrison and prospects Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickhoff, and Alec Asher go the other way.
Despite sitting four games back of the second wild-card spot, the Rangers pulled the trigger to acquire the three-time All-Star in a move designed for 2016.
Rangers projected starters in 2016:
| Pitcher | ERA | IP | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Hamels | 3.64 | 128.2 | 137 | 1.18 |
| Yu Darvish* | 3.06 | 144.1 | 182 | 1.26 |
| Derek Holland* | 1.46 | 37 | 25 | 1.05 |
| Martin Perez* | 4.38 | 51.1 | 35 | 1.34 |
| Nick Martinez | 4.08 | 106 | 64 | 1.42 |
| Chi Chi Gonzalez | 3.74 | 43.1 | 15 | 1.24 |
- *Denotes 2014 stats as player injured in 2015
Hamels, who will make his Rangers' debut Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, will earn $23.5 million in each of the next three seasons and has a $20-million team option (with a $6-million buyout) for 2019, though the Phillies will send $9.5 million to Texas as part of the deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.
The oft-injured Harrison, meanwhile, slides into the Phillies rotation. The 29-year-old has been limited to 44 innings over the past three seasons and is coming off spinal fusion surgery. He's owed $26.2 million over the next two seasons with a $13.25-million team option for 2018.
Thompson, Williams, and Alfaro are the Rangers' fourth, fifth, and sixth best prospects, according to MLB.com. Alfaro is also rated the second-best catching prospect in baseball behind Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs.