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CHICAGO – He was an All-Star as recently as 2016, when he had 15-5, but the new Cub Cubs Cub Cole Hamels saw his ERA rise rapidly over the past three seasons, this year's 3.32 at 4.20 in 2017 at 4.72 right now, while he's leading his brilliant career in Chicago
. On the surface, trading with the Texas Hamels Rangers for minor league prospects – which both sides have not yet formalized – is a risky one. After all, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said earlier this week that a trade for a new player had to be a slam dunk.
The Cubs have acquired Rangers' Cole Hamels left for several minor league prospects, according to ESPN sources Jesse Rogers and Jerry Crasnick, confirming a Dallas Morning News report
The deadline for transactions the MLB, July 31, is fast approaching. Stay up to date with the latest offers, rumors and analysis as your team envisions its next big move.
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"If you bring someone, guys need to know that it will have a positive impact on the group as opposed to the group that is already there," Maddon said. "If you're going to make a move, it must be obvious, maybe not for the general public, but for the guys in this room."
And that's the strange part of the case. Despite some really horrible numbers – since June 25, Hamels is last in ERA, last in OPS against and 119th in WHIP – Hamels feels like an update based simply on his pedigree. And of course, based on the starting team of Cubs, who is in the last third of the starting pitched innings.
Was it a coincidence that trade revived as Tyler Chatwood once again walked into the house of the Cubs? -6 wins against Arizona on Thursday? May be. But maybe not.
It is felt that the Cubs just can not keep Chatwood in the rotation, since he has managed 85 free passes in 94 innings this season. In a way, they are 11-8 in his outings – including winning the last five, he started – but he also crashed their paddock. And who can trust a walking machine in the playoffs?
That's where Hamels comes in. It's unclear if the Cubs will employ a six-man rotation or simply replace Chatwood, but anyway the veteran southpaw can make his way into the big game with his new team. The opening is there – if Hamels' business follows suit.
The obvious reason for Cubs' optimism is how Hamels behaved on the road this season – or, more precisely, away from Globe Life Park in Arlington. It's a paradise for hitters. Hamels has a 6.41 ERA this season, but only 2.93 on the road
The Cubs are not playing Texas this season. That's the good news.
The bad news is that Hamels' fastball was hit everywhere. According to the research of ESPN Stats & Information, in the battles that end on this ground, the opposition reaches .329 with a .927 OPS – and that is on the road. Fortunately, house divisions in these categories do not matter anymore because they are off-the-charts (.391 / 1.245).
"That does not affect him so he can move on to the next" teammate Jesse Chavez said earlier this week Hamels struggles. "It's the beauty of having a guy like that Look what he did on the road I would bring him."
Chavez took a look at the Rangers until a week ago, comparing Globe Life to the Great American Ballpark of Cincinnati. Both are great batting yards.
So, for a low-risk investment, the Cubs hope to reap big rewards like in 2016 and 2017, when Aroldis Chapman and Jose Quintana came on board in July. Cubs in the playoffs each season. This time, they are turning to an aging veteran whose numbers are not beautiful, but intriguing anyway.
The figures could be even better in a Cubs uniform for a team desperate to find some stability in its rotation. We will see soon if Hamels is the answer to their problems.
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