If nothing else, the Boston Red Sox are doing their homework on Cole Hamels.
A major league source told WEEI’s Rob Bradford the Red Sox will be one of the teams in attendance at Hamels’ free agency showcase scheduled for Friday in Texas.
This might just be due diligence, as a bunch of teams presumably will send scouts to watch the left-hander’s workout. But it’s nevertheless notable as the Red Sox prepare to make a postseason push, especially with Boston’s rotation experiencing a few hiccups to close out the first half.
Hamels was limited to only one start lasting 3 1/3 innings last season after signing a one-year, $18 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. He dealt with shoulder issues and triceps tendinitis in what amounted to a lost campaign for the veteran southpaw after a fairly solid 2019 in which he went 7-7 with a 3.81 ERA in 27 starts (141 2/3 innings) with the Chicago Cubs.
While the days of Hamels being an ace are a distant memory, the crafty southpaw has been decent enough in recent years — 2020 notwithstanding — to think he might have something left in the tank at age 37.
He went 9-12 with a 3.78 ERA in 32 starts (190 2/3 innings) split between the Cubs and Texas Rangers in 2018. The four-time All-Star earned his most recent selection to the Midsummer Classic in 2016, a season in which he went 15-5 with a 3.32 ERA in 32 starts (200 2/3 innings).
Of course, the Red Sox, or any team that signs Hamels, would need to temper expectations, viewing him as an ancillary piece capable of providing depth rather than a pitcher whose addition could swing the balance of power across MLB. But everyone’s searching high and low for pitching this time of year, with the trade deadline about two weeks away, and Hamels’ track record is enough to pique interest.
Hamels was a front-line starter for most of his nine-plus seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2006-15), finishing in the top eight in National League Cy Young voting on four separate occasions. He made at least 28 starts and tossed at least 180 innings every season from 2007 to 2016.
The Red Sox don’t necessarily have a need in their rotation, especially with Chris Sale seemingly on the cusp of returning from Tommy John surgery this summer and Tanner Houck a potential starting option at Triple-A Worcester. But there’s been enough inconsistency from various parts of the unit — Garrett Richards, in particular, of late — that it’s hardly farfetched to think chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom will pursue external reinforcements.
Whether that search involves a real pursuit of Hamels remains to be seen. For now, though, his name is worth monitoring as clubs head to the Lone Star State to gauge both his health and his potential to log big league innings down the stretch.
