MLB Trade Rumors: Could Cole Hamels Be the Answer to the New York Yankees' Starting Pitch Woes?
Recent rumor suggests that the Yankees may be interested in acquiring the veteran lefty
The New York Yankees are currently one of the top teams in the Majors, and that's due in large part to an offense that's been as good as advertised and a bullpen that's been dominant more often than not.
The Yankees have also benefited from starting pitcher Luis Severino building on his stellar 2017 campaign.
Still, the Yankees do have their weaknesses.
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As great as Severino has been, the other members of the pitching rotation have been inconsistent and just downright awful at times.
Starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka struggled in the regular season last year, and that has continued. Veteran C.C. Sabathia got off to a terrific start but has been knocked around in his most recent outings.
The most underwhelming starter of the bunch has been Sonny Gray. The Yankees' prized 2017 trade deadline acquisition failed to impress during his abbreviated campaign last season, and his struggles have carried over to 2018.
On most days, the Yankees' offense can produce enough to put the team in a good position to win regardless of the pitching, but on those occasions when the hitters do struggle, rarely does any starting pitcher outside of Severino keep them in the game.
The Yankees have World Series aspirations for this year, and if they are to meet their goal, they will likely need to bring in someone else to start games on the mound for them.
One player that they could be looking to acquire is said to be Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers.
In a recent article, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reported that "it looks like the Yankees could be interested" in Hamels.
Now, it is worth noting that trading for Hamels will not be a simple task for the Yankees.
Aside from needing to present a trade offer that's good enough to get the Rangers interested in parting with Hamels, the Yankees themselves will need to convince the 34-year-old that going to New York will be a good move for him.
According to an earlier report from MLB insider Jon Morosi, Hamels possesses a limited no-trade clause that gives him the power to block trades to certain teams, and the Yankees are one of those teams.
The potentially good news for the Yankees though is that Hamels may be willing to waive that no-trade clause if it means that he will be able to pitch for a playoff team, according to the aforementioned Cafardo's article.
So, should the Yankees go all-in on trying to acquire Hamels now?
The advantage in going after Hamels now is that it will allow the Yankees to get more starts from him. The Rangers are going to be one of the worst teams in the Majors this season, and they will likely trade Hamels immediately if they receive a good enough offer.
Concerns still linger about Hamels ability to pitch deep into games and his tendency to give up home runs, but no starting pitcher that will end up on the trade market will be flawless.
The Yankees need help in the rotation now, and trading for Hamels could resolve that issue.
