Cole Hamels Open To Phillies Return

Cole Hamels expressed openness of making a comeback with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"If I fit on their roster and their plans, I’d love the opportunity to come back," Hamels told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Hamels played the last of his seven-year, $158 million deal that he originally signed with Philadelphia in 2012.

But that contract bounced around two other teams, namely the Texas Rangers after the Phillies brought him and Jake Diekman to the Metropolitan Dallas area for Matt Harrison, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, Alec Asher, and Jerad Eickhoff at the middle of the 2015 season and the Chicago Cubs in a 2018 trade for Eddie Butler, Rollie Lacy, and Alexander Ovalles.

With no contract extension given by the Cubs, Hamels entered free agency for the first time in his career.

The Cubs did not even give a qualifying offer, giving him a free hand on which team he wants to be with.

However, Hamels clarified that he will not pressure the Phillies to sign him immediately especially that he is not that old anymore and that the current free-agent market is headlined by top pitchers.

“I’m not there to handcuff somebody or an organization. That’s what the younger guys can do,” added the 35-year-old changeup expert.

In fact, Hamel added that he is willing to sign a short-term deal if deemed necessary.

"I can do one year here and there and just play as long as I can play. I think that’s what will help give me an opportunity to play on teams that are trying to go to the postseason," he further said. "If you need one guy, I can just kind of bounce around."

A one-year deal to Cole Hamels could mean Philadelphia will still have enough room to land a star pitcher in free agency.

Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg are the most high profile pitchers who are free agents in the offseason.

Hamels had a good start with the Cubs last season, going 6-3 on 2.98 earned run average in 17 starts.

But since he "rushed back" from a strained left oblique, he went 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA in 10 starts, and the Cubs struggled down the stretch to miss the postseason.