The Philadelphia Phillies are apparently serious about keeping ace lefthander Cole Hamels around for a long time, writes Ken Rosenthal:
The club is now offering Hamels six years guaranteed, leaving only the dollar amount to be negotiated, major-league sources say.
The money in a six-year extension for Hamels almost certainly would exceed the $127.5 million that the Giants recently gave right-hander Matt Cain.
This is by no means a done deal. Rosenthal points out that Hamels could reject the offer and head to free agency. If that happens, the Phillies could still deal Hamels before the non-waiver trade deadline 11 days from now.
The Phillies are struggling this season due to injuries, so keeping Hamels isn’t likely to put them on any postseason run. But signing him to a long-term extension sends a message that the Phillies intend to quickly reload so they can contend in 2013 and beyond.
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