
The deal has yet to be confirmed by either club, but based on multiple reports, appears to be imminent.
In return for their ace, the Phillies will receive pitcher Matt Harrison and prospects Jorge Alfaro (catcher), Nick Williams (outfielder), Jake Thompson (RHP), Alec Asher (RHP) and Jerad Eickhoff (RHP).
The 17th overall draft pick by the Phillies in 2002, Hamels helped lead the Phillies to their first World Series in 28 years in 2008, earning World Series and NLCS MVP honors along the way. The veteran lefty also led the team back to the World Series in 2009, where they fell short against the Yankees.
Hamels was a key cog in the resurgence of the Phillies organization since being called up in 2006, helping the club to five straight playoff berths from 2007 to 2011. He also earned three All-Star nods during his time with the club.
While Hamels will be sorely missed by the organization and city, the Phillies took another step forward in rebuilding for the future with the deal.
The deal adds some very talented prospects to the Phillies' farm system, as Thompson, Williams and Alfaro are all in the Top 100 Prospects in MLB, according to MLBPipeline.com.
Thompson, the #60 prospect in MLB according to MLBPipeline.com, was a second round draft pick out of high school in 2012 with the Tigers. The 21-year-old has a great slider and a sinker that hits the low- to mid-90s. In 2015, he has gone 6-6 with a 4.72 ERA with Double-A Frisco.
Williams, the #64 prospect in MLB according to MLBPipeline.com, was a second round pick out of high school in the 2012 draft as well. The 21-year-old outfielder is currently hitting .300 with 13 home runs, 45 RBIs and 55 runs scored with Double-A Frisco.
Alfaro, the #69 prospect in MLB according to MLBPipeline.com, was signed out of Colombia in 2010. The 22-year-old catcher was hitting .253 with five home runs with Double-A Frisco before being sidelined for the remainder of the year due to ankle surgery.
The 23-year-old Asher has compiled a 4-10 record with a 4.43 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A so far in 2015.
Eickhoff, 25, has gone 9-4 with a 4.30 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A in 2015.
The Phillies will also send $9.5 million to the Rangers and take on the approximately $32.3 million owed to Harrison through 2017, per FoxSports.com.
The 29-year-old lefty Harrison is 50-35 with a 4.21 ERA in his big league career.
And with that, the Cole Hamels era officially comes to a close in Philadelphia, as the team continues to look to the future. The Phillies farm system overnight became much stronger, and as a result, the future of the organization much brighter.
Thanks for all the great memories, Cole.
By: Kyle Babcock
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